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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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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: craft · pound · tear · vault · key · stand

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. craft — boats
  5. vault — a safe
  6. key — in music
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. tear — from crying
  9. craft — a skill
  10. key — the most important part
  11. tear — to rip
  12. stand — to bear
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. key — for a lock
  15. tear — from crying
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. pound — a weight

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