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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 124 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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. ball — a great time
  3. pound — a weight
  4. current — happening now
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. vault — a safe
  11. fork — in a road
  12. deal — to handle
  13. ball — a dance
  14. current — electric
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. current — of water
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. arm — a part of something

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