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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: vault · saw · pop · foot · race · fan · bay · pound

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. saw — the tool
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. pop — soda
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. race — the arms race
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. pop — music
  14. pop — to visit
  15. foot — a measure
  16. saw — the tool
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. pound — a weight
  20. race — humankind
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. vault — a safe
  23. race — a contest
  24. foot — the bottom

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