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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. charge — a price
  4. degree — an amount
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. pound — a weight
  7. rock — a stone
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. charge — electricity
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. charge — in control
  14. degree — temperature
  15. degree — from a university
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. rock — music
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. land — a country
  22. land — ground
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. land — to come down

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