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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: swing · clip · wake · vault · pound · bowl

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. clip — a video
  3. clip — for paper
  4. wake — a trail
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. clip — to cut
  7. swing — in golf
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. swing — music
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. vault — a safe
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. swing — to play on

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