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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 116 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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. can — a tin
  4. firm — steady
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. can — a tin
  7. spell — a short time
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. rock — a stone
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. firm — decided
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. game — wild animals
  15. spell — letters
  16. pound — a weight
  17. dip — to sink
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. firm — a company
  20. can — to be able to
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. spell — magic
  23. game — a match
  24. vault — a safe

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