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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

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

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