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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: bay · present · pound · chest · bear · vault · cabinet · pitcher

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. chest — of your body
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. vault — a safe
  8. present — the time now
  9. bear — the animal
  10. present — there
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. bear — the animal
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. chest — a box
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. pound — a weight
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. present — a gift
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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