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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: cabinet · swing · vault · bark · content · game · calf · rock

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. swing — to play on
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. content — happy
  5. game — a match
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. content — the amount
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. vault — a safe
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. rock — music
  18. swing — music
  19. swing — in golf
  20. bark — to shout
  21. rock — a stone
  22. game — wild animals
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. calf — a young animal

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