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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. vault — a safe
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. degree — an amount
  11. degree — temperature
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. pound — a weight
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. degree — from a university
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. date — the fruit

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