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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: firm · vault · file · can · object · court · pound · cell

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. can — to be able to
  3. file — a tool
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. firm — decided
  7. court — of law
  8. object — a thing
  9. firm — steady
  10. can — a tin
  11. pound — a weight
  12. court — of a king
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. can — a tin
  15. vault — a safe
  16. object — to protest
  17. file — a line of people
  18. cell — in biology
  19. cell — a phone
  20. file — a document
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. court — for sport
  23. firm — a company
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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