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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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. staff — employees
  4. pound — a weight
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. field — for sport
  7. vault — a safe
  8. staff — a stick
  9. march — the month
  10. cap — a lid
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. cap — a hat
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. field — a subject
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. cap — of ice
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. march — music
  19. field — farmland
  20. club — for golf
  21. club — a group
  22. march — the month
  23. club — for dancing
  24. trunk — of a car

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