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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: vault · band · ball · bank · pound · ground

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. ground — the earth
  5. bank — of a river
  6. ball — a great time
  7. pound — a weight
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. bank — for money
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. ground — crushed
  12. bank — for money
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. band — a ring
  15. ball — a dance
  16. band — a music group
  17. ground — a position
  18. vault — a safe

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