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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 116 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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. pound — a weight
  6. club — for golf
  7. club — for dancing
  8. vault — a safe
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. key — for a lock
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. key — the most important part
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. key — in music
  20. club — a group
  21. capital — money
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. capital — a city

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