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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 120 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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. pound — a weight
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. mug — to rob
  10. can — to be able to
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. mark — a trace
  13. mark — a grade
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. vault — a safe
  16. mug — a face
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. mug — a cup
  19. can — a tin
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. mine — for digging
  24. can — a tin

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