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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: can · pound · club · mate · present · bass · mine · vault

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. pound — a weight
  3. mine — for digging
  4. mate — to breed
  5. vault — a safe
  6. present — a gift
  7. bass — the fish
  8. bass — low music
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. club — for dancing
  11. mate — a friend
  12. club — for golf
  13. club — a group
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. present — there
  17. present — the time now
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. can — a tin
  23. can — a tin
  24. can — to be able to

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