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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: mug · pound · craft · vault · suit · cell · march · stick

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. pound — a weight
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. march — the month
  8. cell — a phone
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. suit — clothes
  11. mug — to rob
  12. suit — in cards
  13. march — music
  14. mug — a face
  15. march — the month
  16. suit — to fit
  17. vault — a safe
  18. cell — in biology
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. craft — a skill
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. craft — boats
  24. pound — to hit hard

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