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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. vault — a safe
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. club — for dancing
  5. court — for sport
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. drill — the tool
  10. court — of a king
  11. fork — in a road
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. pound — a weight
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. club — for golf
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. pitch — completely
  20. club — a group
  21. drill — a practice
  22. court — of law
  23. drill — army training
  24. pound — to hit hard

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