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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 116 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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Word bank
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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: hand · rock · deal · present · vault · ground

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. present — the time now
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. ground — crushed
  6. rock — music
  7. hand — help
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. present — a gift
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. hand — in cards
  12. ground — a position
  13. ground — the earth
  14. rock — a stone
  15. deal — to handle
  16. vault — a safe
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. present — there

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