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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. present — there
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. track — to keep track
  6. bulb — for light
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. land — to come down
  9. track — a song
  10. present — a gift
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. track — a path
  13. pound — a weight
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. present — the time now
  16. date — the fruit
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. bulb — for light
  19. land — a country
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. vault — a safe
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. land — ground
  24. date — on the calendar

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