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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. charge — electricity
  3. ground — the earth
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. charge — a price
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. club — for golf
  10. pound — a weight
  11. vault — a safe
  12. wake — a trail
  13. march — the month
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. march — music
  16. ground — crushed
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. ground — a position
  20. club — for dancing
  21. march — the month
  22. club — a group
  23. toast — bread
  24. charge — in control

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