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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. bulb — for light
  3. pound — a weight
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. key — in music
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. clip — to cut
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. vault — a safe
  13. clip — for paper
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. key — the most important part
  16. clip — a video
  17. stand — to bear
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. key — for a lock
  20. bulb — for light
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. kid — to tease
  24. kid — child

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