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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: root · ground · mouse · present · fall · bark · can · vault

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. can — a tin
  3. fall — to drop
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. root — of a plant
  6. ground — a position
  7. fall — the season
  8. present — the time now
  9. can — a tin
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. root — the cause
  13. ground — crushed
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. bark — to shout
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. vault — a safe
  19. root — of a word
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. fall — to drop
  22. can — to be able to
  23. present — there
  24. ground — the earth

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