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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. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. scale — size or range
  5. rule — government
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. vault — a safe
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. pass — a permit
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. scale — in music
  18. spring — of water
  19. spring — a coil
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. rule — a law
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. pound — a weight
  24. rule — to rule out

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