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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 · scale · straw · present · board · vault

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. present — a gift
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. present — there
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. board — a committee
  8. scale — in music
  9. scale — size or range
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. vault — a safe
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. board — to get on
  18. present — the time now

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