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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: net · rule · mug · bowl · vault · dip · racket · pound

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. pound — a weight
  4. rule — government
  5. net — after costs
  6. mug — a face
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. net — in sport
  11. net — for catching
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. mug — a cup
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. vault — a safe
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. dip — to sink
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. rule — a law
  24. bowl — a dish

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