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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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Word bank
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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: vault · stand · pitcher · march · trunk · bark · deal · bear

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. march — the month
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. stand — to bear
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. bear — the animal
  15. deal — to handle
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. bear — the animal
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. vault — a safe
  21. bark — to shout
  22. march — the month
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. trunk — of a tree

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