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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 · stock · dip · race · calf · lie · vault · bark

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. court — for sport
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. court — of law
  7. stock — goods
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. lie — to recline
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. race — humankind
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. race — the arms race
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. vault — a safe
  17. court — of a king
  18. race — a contest
  19. dip — to sink
  20. bark — to shout
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. stock — shares
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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