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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. suit — clothes
  3. season — of the year
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. vault — a safe
  6. pound — a weight
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. suit — in cards
  9. land — to come down
  10. last — to go on
  11. season — in sport
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. suit — to fit
  15. land — a country
  16. pass — a permit
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. land — ground
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. last — final
  21. last — finally
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. arm — part of the body

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