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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 120 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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. chest — of your body
  4. wax — to grow
  5. vault — a safe
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. object — to protest
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. chest — a box
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. stock — shares
  15. pound — a weight
  16. object — a thing
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. mug — a face
  19. pitch — completely
  20. object — an aim
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. stock — goods
  23. chest — of your body
  24. mug — to rob

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