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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 · stand · ground · swing · bulb · band · vault · scale

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. swing — in golf
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. stand — to bear
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. vault — a safe
  10. ground — the earth
  11. band — a music group
  12. swing — to play on
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. ground — a position
  15. scale — in music
  16. swing — music
  17. bulb — for light
  18. pound — a weight
  19. scale — size or range
  20. ground — crushed
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. band — a ring
  24. bulb — for light

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