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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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. vault — a safe
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. wound — an injury
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. lean — to bend
  14. firm — a company
  15. date — the fruit
  16. lean — thin
  17. rash — a series
  18. stand — to bear
  19. wound — an injury
  20. rash — hasty
  21. firm — steady
  22. firm — decided
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. pound — a weight

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