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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: hide · chip · court · vault · wake · craft · toast · bark

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. court — of law
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. wake — a trail
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. vault — a safe
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. chip — to eat
  11. craft — a skill
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. craft — boats
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. court — of a king
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. court — for sport
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. toast — bread
  24. chip — for betting

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