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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: court · march · bark · arm · mate · object · bank · vault

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  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. object — to protest
  2. vault — a safe
  3. court — of law
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. object — an aim
  6. march — the month
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. bank — for money
  10. bark — to shout
  11. march — music
  12. bank — for money
  13. object — a thing
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. mate — a friend
  17. march — the month
  18. bank — of a river
  19. mate — a partner
  20. court — of a king
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. court — for sport
  23. arm — part of the body
  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