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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. ground — crushed
  3. vault — a safe
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. ground — a position
  7. net — for catching
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. net — after costs
  10. pound — a weight
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. deal — to handle
  13. ground — the earth
  14. wake — a trail
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. net — in sport
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. vault — an arched ceiling

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