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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: bank · vault · pass · staff · bark · chip · arm · court

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. bank — of a river
  3. court — of a king
  4. chip — for betting
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. bank — for money
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. bank — for money
  10. bark — to shout
  11. court — of law
  12. pass — a permit
  13. staff — employees
  14. vault — a safe
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. staff — employees
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. staff — a stick
  23. chip — to eat
  24. bark — of a tree

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