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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. roll — a cake
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. roll — a list
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. pound — a weight
  7. club — for dancing
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. charge — electricity
  13. shower — rain
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. fine — high quality
  16. fine — all right
  17. shower — to wash
  18. charge — in control
  19. mark — a grade
  20. charge — a price
  21. mark — a trace
  22. club — for golf
  23. club — a group
  24. vault — a safe

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