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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 116 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. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. chip — for betting
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. spring — of water
  5. hand — in cards
  6. vault — a safe
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. spring — a coil
  10. chip — to eat
  11. pound — a weight
  12. staff — a stick
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. ground — crushed
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. ground — a position
  17. hand — help
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. staff — employees
  20. ground — the earth
  21. staff — employees
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. hand — part of the body

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