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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: nail · vault · content · race · pit · pound · bark · plane

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. content — happy
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. content — the amount
  9. pit — a hole
  10. race — the arms race
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. pit — in a race
  15. pound — a weight
  16. plane — a tool
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. bark — to shout
  20. vault — a safe
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. race — humankind

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