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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. staff — employees
  3. vault — a safe
  4. pound — a weight
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. march — the month
  7. march — the month
  8. march — music
  9. fall — to drop
  10. staff — a stick
  11. mark — a trace
  12. net — after costs
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. net — for catching
  16. staff — employees
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. net — in sport
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. fall — the season
  21. fall — to drop
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. cabinet — ministers

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