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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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: racket · vault · bark · bat · clip · pop · staff · jam

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. pop — music
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. staff — employees
  10. staff — a stick
  11. vault — a safe
  12. staff — employees
  13. pop — to visit
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. clip — for paper
  19. pop — soda
  20. clip — a video
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. clip — to cut
  24. bat — the animal

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