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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: band · current · bowl · bat · pound · roll · leaves · vault

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. band — a music group
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. pound — a weight
  9. roll — a list
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. band — a ring
  12. current — electric
  13. vault — a safe
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. current — happening now
  17. bat — the animal
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. roll — a cake
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. current — of water

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