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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: bass · stand · bark · foot · mark · vault · bowl · bore

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. bore — to tire
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. bark — to shout
  6. vault — a safe
  7. bore — to drill
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. mark — a trace
  10. bass — the fish
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. mark — a grade
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. stand — to bear
  20. bass — low music
  21. foot — a measure
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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