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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: wind · foot · pound · charge · vault · plane · stock · toast

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. vault — a safe
  4. charge — in control
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. toast — bread
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. charge — electricity
  10. pound — a weight
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. plane — a tool
  13. foot — a measure
  14. wind — moving air
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. stock — shares
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. stock — goods
  24. wind — moving air

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