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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.

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: season · mine · sharp · object · cap · bark · pound · vault

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. pound — a weight
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. object — an aim
  6. bark — to shout
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. object — to protest
  9. season — of the year
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. cap — of ice
  17. mine — for digging
  18. vault — a safe
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. cap — a lid
  21. object — a thing
  22. season — in sport
  23. cap — a hat
  24. sharp — clever

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