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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. present — a gift
  3. ground — a position
  4. drill — the tool
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. ground — the earth
  7. vault — a safe
  8. pound — a weight
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. drill — a practice
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. rush — hurry
  14. drill — army training
  15. mark — a grade
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. present — there
  18. present — the time now
  19. ground — crushed
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. mark — a trace
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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