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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: kid · bear · scale · charge · vault · bark · face · pit

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. bear — the animal
  4. pit — in a race
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. scale — in music
  8. face — to point toward
  9. bark — to shout
  10. scale — size or range
  11. charge — a price
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. kid — child
  14. vault — a safe
  15. charge — in control
  16. kid — to tease
  17. charge — electricity
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. pit — a hole
  20. face — to confront
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. face — part of the head
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. bear — to put up with

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