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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: fall · rock · pound · vault · date · press · game · racket

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. game — a match
  3. game — wild animals
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. vault — a safe
  7. fall — the season
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. rock — music
  10. press — newspapers
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. fall — to drop
  14. press — to push
  15. press — a publisher
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. date — the fruit
  22. fall — to drop
  23. rock — a stone
  24. pound — a weight

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