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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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. vault — a safe
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. root — the cause
  5. last — finally
  6. last — final
  7. craft — boats
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. date — the fruit
  15. pound — a weight
  16. rule — government
  17. rule — a law
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. root — of a word
  22. root — of a plant
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. craft — a skill

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