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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  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. pound — a weight
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. net — for catching
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. vault — a safe
  9. net — in sport
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. can — to be able to
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. can — a tin
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. can — a tin
  18. capital — a city
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. net — after costs
  21. capital — money
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. trunk — of a car
  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