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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: kid · vault · race · rule · pound · foot

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. vault — a safe
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. rule — government
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. race — the arms race
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. foot — a measure
  12. rule — a law
  13. race — humankind
  14. race — a contest
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. kid — child
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. kid — to tease

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