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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: bore · pound · root · toast · pass · vault · chest · fine

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. root — of a plant
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. root — of a word
  5. pass — a permit
  6. bore — to tire
  7. chest — of your body
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. root — the cause
  13. chest — of your body
  14. fine — all right
  15. bore — to drill
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. fine — high quality
  21. vault — a safe
  22. toast — bread
  23. chest — a box
  24. toast — the most admired

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