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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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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: chair · date · vault · mouse · bark · squash · branch · nail

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. bark — to shout
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. branch — a division
  9. date — the fruit
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. squash — to crush
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. vault — a safe
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. squash — the sport
  24. chair — a leader

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