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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: vault · bark · game · dip · chair · bowl · charge · wax

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. charge — in control
  7. vault — a safe
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. wax — to grow
  11. game — wild animals
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. bark — to shout
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. chair — a leader
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. dip — to sink
  23. charge — electricity
  24. game — a match

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