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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: rule · bark · fork · row · vault · mark · mate · mouse

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. mate — to breed
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. mark — a trace
  10. rule — a law
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. row — a line
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. fork — in a road
  15. mate — a friend
  16. rule — government
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. mate — a partner
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. row — to paddle
  22. bark — to shout
  23. mark — a grade
  24. vault — a safe

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