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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. mate — a partner
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. bear — the animal
  8. date — the fruit
  9. bear — the animal
  10. band — a music group
  11. vault — a safe
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. mate — a friend
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. kick — in football
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. mate — to breed
  21. band — a ring
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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