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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. deal — to handle
  3. kid — to tease
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. ground — a position
  8. kid — child
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. pound — a weight
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. ground — the earth
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. vault — a safe
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. row — to paddle
  22. ground — crushed
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. ruler — for measuring

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