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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: pound · vault · wax · game · stick · pass · ground · mine

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. vault — a safe
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. mine — for digging
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. ground — the earth
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. pound — a weight
  16. game — wild animals
  17. ground — crushed
  18. pass — a permit
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. ground — a position
  23. game — a match
  24. wax — to grow

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