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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. pound — a weight
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. pit — a hole
  5. spring — the season
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. suit — clothes
  8. suit — in cards
  9. vault — a safe
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. hand — in cards
  13. spring — of water
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. pit — in a race
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. spring — a coil
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. suit — to fit
  24. hand — help

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