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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: pitcher · racket · bark · vault · bank · shower · lie · tube

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. lie — to recline
  5. shower — rain
  6. tube — a container
  7. bank — for money
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. bank — for money
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. shower — to wash
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. vault — a safe
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. tube — the underground
  20. bark — to shout
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. bank — of a river

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