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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: bass · bark · racket · game · trunk · mouse · vault · season

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. season — of the year
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. bass — low music
  7. game — a match
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. bass — the fish
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. season — in sport
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. game — wild animals
  19. vault — a safe
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. mouse — the animal

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