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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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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: tear · rock · pound · season · wound · drill · vault · court

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. pound — a weight
  3. season — of the year
  4. drill — the tool
  5. wound — an injury
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. drill — army training
  9. court — for sport
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. court — of law
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. court — of a king
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. vault — a safe
  17. season — in sport
  18. wound — an injury
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. rock — music
  21. drill — a practice
  22. tear — from crying
  23. tear — to rip
  24. tear — from crying

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