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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. object — to protest
  4. scale — size or range
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. spell — magic
  7. bound — obliged
  8. bound — certain
  9. object — an aim
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. date — the fruit
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. pound — a weight
  18. scale — in music
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. object — a thing
  22. vault — a safe
  23. bound — tied together
  24. spell — letters

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