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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: bear · pound · foot · fine · vault · land · kid · stick

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. bear — the animal
  3. bear — the animal
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. kid — child
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. pound — a weight
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. fine — high quality
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. vault — a safe
  12. kid — to tease
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. land — a country
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. land — to come down
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. land — ground
  19. fine — all right
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. foot — a measure
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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