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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. pop — to visit
  3. vault — a safe
  4. pop — soda
  5. pound — a weight
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. pop — music
  10. capital — money
  11. band — a ring
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. band — a music group
  14. capital — a city
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. wind — moving air
  18. present — there
  19. present — the time now
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. wind — moving air
  24. present — a gift

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