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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: toast · cue · vault · ball · march · hide · pound · kid

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. pound — a weight
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. cue — a hint
  9. march — music
  10. march — the month
  11. vault — a safe
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. ball — a dance
  14. cue — a signal
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. toast — bread
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. ball — a great time
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. kid — child
  22. march — the month
  23. cue — for pool
  24. kid — to tease

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