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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. ball — a great time
  3. date — the fruit
  4. ball — a dance
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. season — in sport
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. vault — a safe
  13. season — of the year
  14. pound — a weight
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. band — a music group
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. band — a ring
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. nail — on a finger

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