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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 information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. firm — steady
  3. pound — a weight
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. content — happy
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. file — a line of people
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. firm — a company
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. mine — for digging
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. deal — to handle
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. content — the amount
  19. firm — decided
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. vault — a safe
  22. file — a tool
  23. fine — high quality
  24. fine — all right

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