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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: board · pound · tube · coach · dip · perch · last · vault

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. last — finally
  3. vault — a safe
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. last — to go on
  8. tube — the underground
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. tube — a container
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. pound — a weight
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. board — a committee
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. dip — to sink
  17. last — final
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. perch — the fish
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. board — to get on
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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