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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: chest · current · pound · vault · racket · cap

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. cap — of ice
  5. cap — a hat
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. chest — a box
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. current — happening now
  10. cap — a lid
  11. current — of water
  12. current — electric
  13. vault — a safe
  14. chest — of your body
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. chest — of your body
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. vault — in gymnastics

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