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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. lie — to recline
  4. ground — crushed
  5. pound — a weight
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. scale — in music
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. ground — the earth
  13. ground — a position
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. scale — size or range
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. date — the fruit
  21. vault — a safe
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. pound — to hit hard
  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