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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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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: rule · spell · vault · spring · pound · race

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. rule — a law
  3. spring — the season
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. spell — letters
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. spring — a coil
  9. rule — government
  10. vault — a safe
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. pound — a weight
  14. race — humankind
  15. spell — a short time
  16. spring — of water
  17. spell — magic
  18. race — the arms race

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