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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: vault · stem · date · foot · pound · bear · bulb · press

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  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. pound — a weight
  2. vault — a safe
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. date — the fruit
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. bear — the animal
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. bulb — for light
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. bear — the animal
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. press — to push
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. press — newspapers
  17. stem — to come from
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. bulb — for light
  21. press — a publisher
  22. foot — a measure
  23. date — on the calendar
  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