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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 116 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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. vault — a safe
  3. track — a path
  4. root — the cause
  5. craft — boats
  6. club — for golf
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. pound — a weight
  9. craft — a skill
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. root — of a plant
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. track — to keep track
  15. club — for dancing
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. root — of a word
  19. track — a song
  20. pitch — completely
  21. club — a group
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. mug — a cup
  24. mug — to rob

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