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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 120 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: trunk · bark · vault · pitcher · root · dip · bound · game

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. root — the cause
  3. dip — to sink
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. game — a match
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. root — of a word
  13. game — wild animals
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. bound — tied together
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. root — of a plant
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. bound — obliged
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. vault — a safe
  24. bound — certain

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