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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: key · dip · stick · pit · vault · bear · track · bark

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. bear — the animal
  4. pit — a hole
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. key — in music
  7. key — for a lock
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. bark — to shout
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. dip — to sink
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. track — to keep track
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. pit — in a race
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. vault — a safe
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. track — a path
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. bear — the animal
  24. key — the most important part

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