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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: pound · vault · bass · rule · rest · perch

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. rule — a law
  3. vault — a safe
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. bass — low music
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. perch — the fish
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. rest — what's left
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. rest — what's left
  16. rest — a break
  17. pound — a weight
  18. rule — government

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