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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: wind · bank · pound · racket · vault · snap · chip · cue

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. bank — of a river
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. wind — moving air
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. cue — for pool
  7. snap — to click
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. bank — for money
  10. chip — for betting
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. wind — moving air
  13. cue — a signal
  14. cue — a hint
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. bank — for money
  17. chip — to eat
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. vault — a safe
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. pound — a weight
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. pound — for dogs

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