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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 116 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: vault · pit · bark · staff · mug · field · calf · content

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. field — a subject
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. mug — to rob
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. staff — employees
  11. mug — a face
  12. content — the amount
  13. bark — to shout
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. pit — in a race
  17. staff — employees
  18. field — farmland
  19. content — happy
  20. field — for sport
  21. vault — a safe
  22. pit — a hole
  23. staff — a stick
  24. mug — a cup

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