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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. pound — a weight
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. pop — music
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. chest — of your body
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. pop — soda
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. race — a contest
  11. race — the arms race
  12. deal — to handle
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. chest — of your body
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. race — humankind
  19. vault — a safe
  20. chest — a box
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. sharp — clever
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. pop — to visit

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