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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. ground — crushed
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. ground — a position
  7. kick — in football
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. rush — hurry
  12. ground — the earth
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. pound — a weight
  16. vault — a safe
  17. bulb — for light
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. mine — for digging

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