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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. cap — a lid
  4. rock — a stone
  5. cap — a hat
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. squash — the sport
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. pound — a weight
  14. bear — the animal
  15. hand — help
  16. rock — music
  17. bear — the animal
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. squash — to crush
  20. vault — a safe
  21. hand — in cards
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. cap — of ice

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