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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 120 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: trunk · staff · pass · vault · shower · ball · foot · pound

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. staff — a stick
  3. ball — a great time
  4. shower — rain
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. foot — a measure
  12. shower — to wash
  13. staff — employees
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. pound — a weight
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. staff — employees
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. vault — a safe
  24. pass — a permit

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