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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. root — the cause
  5. present — a gift
  6. can — a tin
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. kid — to tease
  11. present — there
  12. can — a tin
  13. kid — child
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. perch — the fish
  16. root — of a plant
  17. present — the time now
  18. pound — a weight
  19. root — of a word
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. vault — a safe
  24. can — to be able to

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