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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 kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. bear — the animal
  3. pit — a hole
  4. suit — in cards
  5. pit — in a race
  6. suit — clothes
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. vault — a safe
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. court — of law
  12. pound — a weight
  13. scale — size or range
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. scale — in music
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. court — for sport
  19. branch — a division
  20. court — of a king
  21. suit — to fit
  22. bear — the animal
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. pound — for dogs

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