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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. drill — the tool
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. chip — to eat
  7. drill — army training
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. pound — a weight
  11. march — music
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. fine — all right
  14. march — the month
  15. chip — for betting
  16. drill — a practice
  17. vault — a safe
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. march — the month
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. bay — a horse colour

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