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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: bark · saw · file · branch · content · ball · rule · vault

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. saw — the tool
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. ball — a great time
  6. file — a document
  7. content — the amount
  8. branch — a division
  9. file — a line of people
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. vault — a safe
  12. content — happy
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. rule — a law
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. rule — government
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. file — a tool
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. ball — a dance
  22. saw — the tool
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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