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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. bulb — for light
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. fall — to drop
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. fall — to drop
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. field — farmland
  14. pound — a weight
  15. bound — obliged
  16. stand — to bear
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. fall — the season
  19. field — a subject
  20. bound — certain
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bound — tied together
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. field — for sport

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