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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. dip — to sink
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. fall — to drop
  8. file — a line of people
  9. fall — to drop
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. mark — a grade
  12. swing — to play on
  13. swing — music
  14. file — a tool
  15. swing — in golf
  16. fall — the season
  17. bass — low music
  18. file — a document
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. mark — a trace
  21. vault — a safe
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. bass — the fish

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