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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. season — of the year
  3. pound — a weight
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. present — there
  6. saw — the tool
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. firm — decided
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. fork — in a road
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. firm — steady
  13. season — in sport
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. saw — the tool
  18. present — the time now
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. firm — a company
  21. vault — a safe
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. present — a gift
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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