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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: cell · present · ground · tube · bark · date · key · vault

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. present — the time now
  3. bark — to shout
  4. vault — a safe
  5. present — a gift
  6. ground — crushed
  7. key — the most important part
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. ground — a position
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. present — there
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. tube — a container
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. key — for a lock
  19. cell — a phone
  20. ground — the earth
  21. tube — the underground
  22. date — the fruit
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. key — in music

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