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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. vault — a safe
  4. march — the month
  5. march — the month
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. fork — in a road
  9. wind — moving air
  10. bass — low music
  11. bass — the fish
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. firm — a company
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. kid — child
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. march — music
  19. firm — decided
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. wind — moving air
  22. firm — steady
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. kid — to tease

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