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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 120 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: temple · vault · game · kick · tube · bark · pit · perch

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. bark — to shout
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. tube — a container
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. tube — the underground
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. perch — the fish
  11. game — a match
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. vault — a safe
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. game — wild animals
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. pit — a hole
  22. kick — in football
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. pit — in a race

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