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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: bowl · sharp · vault · pound · ground · rush · mug · mate

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. rush — hurry
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. pound — a weight
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. sharp — clever
  8. mate — a partner
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. ground — crushed
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. mug — a cup
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. mug — to rob
  16. vault — a safe
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. mate — to breed
  19. ground — the earth
  20. mate — a friend
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. mug — a face
  23. ground — a position
  24. sharp — with an edge

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