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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 · coach · safe · branch · bowl · content · pound · deal

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. content — the amount
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. branch — a division
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. content — happy
  20. vault — a safe
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. pound — a weight
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. deal — to handle

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