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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: drill · game · bark · vault · foot · mate · rest · jam

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. game — a match
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. rest — what's left
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. drill — army training
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. drill — the tool
  11. mate — a friend
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. rest — what's left
  16. mate — a partner
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. drill — a practice
  19. rest — a break
  20. vault — a safe
  21. game — wild animals
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. foot — a measure
  24. mate — to breed

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