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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: cue · chest · mine · vault · mouse · pound · stand · kid

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. cue — a signal
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. stand — to bear
  6. kid — child
  7. vault — a safe
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. mine — for digging
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. pound — a weight
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. cue — a hint
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. kid — to tease
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. chest — a box
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. cue — for pool
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. chest — of your body
  23. chest — of your body
  24. mouse — the animal

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