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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: club · bark · foot · calf · pound · vault

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. pound — a weight
  7. club — a group
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. club — for dancing
  14. vault — a safe
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. foot — a measure
  17. club — for golf
  18. bark — to shout

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com