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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. bank — for money
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. pound — a weight
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. drill — army training
  10. bass — low music
  11. snap — to click
  12. drill — a practice
  13. prune — to trim
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. bank — for money
  17. bass — the fish
  18. vault — a safe
  19. dip — to sink
  20. prune — to trim
  21. bank — of a river
  22. drill — the tool
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. pound — for dogs

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