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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. pound — a weight
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. land — ground
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. dip — to sink
  9. chip — to eat
  10. land — a country
  11. land — to come down
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. cell — in biology
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. vault — a safe
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. chip — for betting
  24. cell — a phone

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