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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: coach · pound · rush · fork · squash · hand · charge · vault

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. squash — the sport
  4. pound — a weight
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. charge — a price
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. hand — help
  13. vault — a safe
  14. squash — to crush
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. charge — electricity
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. hand — in cards
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. charge — in control
  23. fork — in a road
  24. rush — a thrill

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