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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: rock · vault · bore · toast · cap · cabinet · racket · bark

  1. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. bore — to drill
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. vault — a safe
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. cap — a lid
  8. cap — of ice
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. bark — to shout
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. bore — to tire
  15. rock — music
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. toast — bread
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. cap — a hat
  24. rock — a stone

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