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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: pound · can · band · straw · vault · racket

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. band — a music group
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. can — a tin
  11. band — a ring
  12. can — to be able to
  13. pound — a weight
  14. vault — a safe
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. can — a tin
  18. vault — an arched ceiling

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