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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. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. spell — magic
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. root — the cause
  8. pound — a weight
  9. dip — to sink
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. rock — music
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. vault — a safe
  15. spell — letters
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. root — of a word
  18. root — of a plant
  19. rock — a stone
  20. spell — a short time
  21. branch — a division
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. dip — to dunk

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