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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. vault — a safe
  4. sharp — clever
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. root — of a plant
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. bat — the animal
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. root — of a word
  13. squash — the sport
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. foot — a measure
  16. root — the cause
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. pound — a weight
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. squash — to crush

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