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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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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: fork · bear · bark · bat · ball · vault · patient · bulb

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  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. bark — of a tree
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. vault — a safe
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. bulb — for light
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. ball — a great time
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. bat — the animal
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. fork — in a road
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. bear — the animal
  20. bark — to shout
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. ball — a dance
  23. bulb — for light
  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