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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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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: mine · bay · pound · lean · vault · mate · racket · can

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. mine — for digging
  3. mate — a friend
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. mate — to breed
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. pound — a weight
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. mate — a partner
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. vault — a safe
  17. can — to be able to
  18. can — a tin
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. lean — to bend
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. lean — thin

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