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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 120 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 · pound · rule · coach · dip · cap

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  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. coach — a trainer
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. vault — a safe
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. cap — a hat
  10. dip — to sink
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. rule — government
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. cap — a lid
  15. pound — a weight
  16. rule — a law
  17. cap — of ice
  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