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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 120 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: dip · game · saw · can · mug · band · vault · ground

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. game — a match
  4. can — to be able to
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. mug — a face
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. can — a tin
  9. vault — a safe
  10. saw — the tool
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. band — a music group
  13. mug — a cup
  14. mug — to rob
  15. band — a ring
  16. can — a tin
  17. ground — crushed
  18. ground — a position
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. saw — the tool
  21. game — wild animals
  22. dip — to sink
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. ground — the earth

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