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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. craft — a skill
  4. vault — a safe
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. mate — a partner
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. ground — a position
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. mate — to breed
  11. ground — crushed
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. court — of a king
  16. court — for sport
  17. snap — to click
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. craft — boats
  20. ground — the earth
  21. mate — a friend
  22. court — of law
  23. pound — a weight
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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