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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: cap · stand · nail · content · vault · kick · pound · bowl

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. vault — a safe
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. cap — a hat
  7. pound — a weight
  8. content — the amount
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. content — happy
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. cap — a lid
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. stand — to bear
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. kick — in football
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. cap — of ice
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. nail — for a hammer

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