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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: key · stock · pitch · bore · pit · bark · vault · current

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. bore — to tire
  5. pitch — completely
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. pit — in a race
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. key — in music
  12. bark — to shout
  13. key — for a lock
  14. bore — to drill
  15. current — electric
  16. current — happening now
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. pit — a hole
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. key — the most important part
  21. stock — goods
  22. vault — a safe
  23. current — of water
  24. stock — shares

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