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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: pitcher · pound · vault · can · last · branch · cue · roll

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. pound — a weight
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. cue — a signal
  7. can — a tin
  8. last — finally
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. branch — a division
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. can — a tin
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. can — to be able to
  16. roll — a list
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. last — final
  19. last — to go on
  20. cue — for pool
  21. cue — a hint
  22. vault — a safe
  23. roll — a cake
  24. branch — of a tree

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