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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 120 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: ground · vault · swing · perch · pit · bulb · ruler · bark

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. perch — the fish
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. swing — to play on
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. bark — to shout
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. swing — music
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. ground — the earth
  14. pit — in a race
  15. ground — crushed
  16. swing — in golf
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. bulb — for light
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. ground — a position
  23. vault — a safe
  24. pit — a hole

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