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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. field — a subject
  4. row — to paddle
  5. field — for sport
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. row — a line
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. wound — an injury
  10. ball — a great time
  11. land — ground
  12. land — to come down
  13. land — a country
  14. field — farmland
  15. saw — the tool
  16. vault — a safe
  17. wound — an injury
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. ball — a dance
  23. saw — the tool
  24. pound — a weight

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