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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. bat — the animal
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. bark — to shout
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. pop — to visit
  8. vault — a safe
  9. track — to keep track
  10. track — a song
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. fine — all right
  15. pound — a weight
  16. pop — music
  17. track — a path
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. fine — high quality
  20. stand — to bear
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. pop — soda
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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