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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 124 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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  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. land — to come down
  2. bear — the animal
  3. foot — a measure
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. vault — a safe
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. fine — all right
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. fine — high quality
  11. land — a country
  12. land — ground
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. pound — a weight
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. bear — the animal
  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