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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. board — a committee
  4. bulb — for light
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. game — a match
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. game — wild animals
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. rash — a series
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. bulb — for light
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. pound — a weight
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. board — to get on
  22. rash — hasty
  23. vault — a safe
  24. fan — a supporter

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