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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. ball — a dance
  4. mate — a partner
  5. row — to paddle
  6. chair — a leader
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. spell — magic
  9. mate — a friend
  10. can — a tin
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. mate — to breed
  14. vault — a safe
  15. spell — letters
  16. row — a line
  17. can — to be able to
  18. ball — a great time
  19. spell — a short time
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. pound — a weight
  22. can — a tin
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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