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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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Word bank
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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 · mark · wave · court · squash · bound · tube · vault

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. mark — a grade
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. mark — a trace
  7. bound — certain
  8. squash — to crush
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. tube — the underground
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. tube — a container
  13. court — for sport
  14. bound — tied together
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. court — of law
  19. court — of a king
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. bound — obliged
  22. pound — a weight
  23. squash — the sport
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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