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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. mate — a partner
  4. vault — a safe
  5. pound — a weight
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. rest — what's left
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. mark — a trace
  11. bark — to shout
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. mate — to breed
  14. mark — a grade
  15. mate — a friend
  16. rest — what's left
  17. degree — temperature
  18. rest — a break
  19. degree — an amount
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. degree — from a university

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