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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: racket · vault · bark · row · lean · ground · cue · rest

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. rest — what's left
  4. lean — thin
  5. ground — a position
  6. bark — to shout
  7. rest — what's left
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. vault — a safe
  10. cue — a hint
  11. ground — the earth
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. rest — a break
  14. lean — to bend
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. cue — for pool
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. ground — crushed
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. row — a line
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. cue — a signal

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