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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. squash — the sport
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. pound — a weight
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. staff — employees
  7. staff — a stick
  8. object — an aim
  9. mate — to breed
  10. staff — employees
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. squash — to crush
  14. mine — for digging
  15. mate — a friend
  16. mate — a partner
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. vault — a safe
  21. object — to protest
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. object — a thing

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