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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. saw — the tool
  4. pound — a weight
  5. net — after costs
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. net — in sport
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. net — for catching
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. club — for golf
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. club — a group
  16. saw — the tool
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. vault — a safe
  19. scale — size or range
  20. tube — a container
  21. tube — the underground
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. scale — in music
  24. stand — to bear

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