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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 120 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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. prune — to trim
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. stand — to bear
  6. can — a tin
  7. prune — to trim
  8. can — to be able to
  9. bound — tied together
  10. degree — temperature
  11. degree — from a university
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. bound — obliged
  17. pound — a weight
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. degree — an amount
  20. bound — certain
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. can — a tin

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