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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: pound · vault · deal · rule · spring · perch

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. deal — to handle
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. perch — the fish
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. pound — a weight
  7. rule — government
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. spring — the season
  10. spring — a coil
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. rule — a law
  16. spring — of water
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. vault — in gymnastics

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