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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: calf · vault · pound · club · rule · ground · deal · last

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  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. deal — an agreement
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. rule — a law
  5. club — a group
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. club — for golf
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. last — finally
  10. ground — a position
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. rule — government
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. last — final
  16. vault — a safe
  17. deal — to handle
  18. last — to go on
  19. club — for dancing
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. ground — crushed
  22. ground — the earth
  23. pound — a weight
  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