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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. object — an aim
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. scale — in music
  6. field — a subject
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. pound — a weight
  9. dip — to sink
  10. object — a thing
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. fine — all right
  14. field — for sport
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. object — to protest
  18. field — farmland
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. bore — to drill
  22. fine — high quality
  23. scale — size or range
  24. bore — to tire

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