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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: pound · vault · lean · band · pop · firm · chair · bay

  1. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. pop — to visit
  5. firm — steady
  6. lean — thin
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. band — a music group
  11. firm — decided
  12. pop — music
  13. firm — a company
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. pound — a weight
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. vault — a safe
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. lean — to bend
  23. pop — soda
  24. band — a ring

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