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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: vault · kick · bark · wind · racket · bulb · net · arm

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. net — in sport
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. net — for catching
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. wind — moving air
  14. kick — in football
  15. bulb — for light
  16. net — after costs
  17. vault — a safe
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. wind — moving air
  24. bulb — for light

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