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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 116 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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. pound — a weight
  3. tube — the underground
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. staff — employees
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. staff — a stick
  13. bass — low music
  14. vault — a safe
  15. bass — the fish
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. tube — a container
  19. mine — for digging
  20. staff — employees
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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