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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. fork — in a road
  5. race — the arms race
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. race — a contest
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. pound — a weight
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. race — humankind
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. cap — a lid
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. cap — of ice
  18. vault — a safe
  19. cue — for pool
  20. cue — a signal
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. cap — a hat
  23. cue — a hint
  24. chair — a leader

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