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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. vault — a safe
  3. bank — for money
  4. ground — crushed
  5. bat — the animal
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. bore — to tire
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. squash — to crush
  10. bore — to drill
  11. bank — for money
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. ground — the earth
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. squash — the sport
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. bank — of a river
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. chair — a leader
  24. ground — a position

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