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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: trunk · cue · bark · vault · wound · pitcher · pop · chip

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  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. pop — music
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. vault — a safe
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. bark — to shout
  9. wound — an injury
  10. pop — to visit
  11. chip — to eat
  12. cue — for pool
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. chip — for betting
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. cue — a hint
  22. wound — an injury
  23. pop — soda
  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