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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: tube · toast · jam · swing · pound · ground · tear · vault

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. tube — a container
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. ground — a position
  7. swing — in golf
  8. tube — the underground
  9. swing — to play on
  10. tear — from crying
  11. tear — to rip
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. toast — bread
  14. vault — a safe
  15. swing — music
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. ground — crushed
  18. ground — the earth
  19. tear — from crying
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. jam — in traffic

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