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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. game — wild animals
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. bore — to drill
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. shower — rain
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. squash — to crush
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. bore — to tire
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. squash — the sport
  14. press — to push
  15. pound — a weight
  16. press — newspapers
  17. club — for golf
  18. game — a match
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. club — a group
  22. shower — to wash
  23. press — a publisher
  24. club — for dancing

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