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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: bark · track · last · lean · game · vault · fork · ball

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  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. lean — to rest against
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. last — to go on
  6. fork — in a road
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. last — finally
  9. ball — a dance
  10. bark — to shout
  11. lean — thin
  12. lean — to bend
  13. track — to keep track
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. ball — a great time
  16. game — wild animals
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. game — a match
  19. track — a path
  20. track — a song
  21. last — final
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  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