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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.

Make a worksheet

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 · march · leaves · content · tube · squash · bark · ball

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. ball — a great time
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. tube — the underground
  6. march — music
  7. tube — a container
  8. content — the amount
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. march — the month
  12. march — the month
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. squash — to crush
  15. ball — a dance
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. content — happy
  18. vault — a safe
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. bark — to shout
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. squash — the sport
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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