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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: trunk · fine · sharp · vault · branch · game · bear · mark

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. bear — the animal
  4. fine — high quality
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. bear — the animal
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. sharp — clever
  11. branch — a division
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. game — wild animals
  17. mark — a trace
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. game — a match
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. vault — a safe
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. fine — all right

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