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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. spring — the season
  5. club — for golf
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. spring — a coil
  9. pound — a weight
  10. spell — letters
  11. can — a tin
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. can — to be able to
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. can — a tin
  18. spell — a short time
  19. vault — a safe
  20. spring — of water
  21. club — a group
  22. club — for dancing
  23. spell — magic
  24. row — to paddle

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