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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. club — for dancing
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. present — a gift
  6. track — to keep track
  7. track — a path
  8. club — a group
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. club — for golf
  11. pound — a weight
  12. vault — a safe
  13. rush — hurry
  14. cap — a lid
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. present — there
  18. cap — a hat
  19. present — the time now
  20. cap — of ice
  21. track — a song
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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