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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: snap · ruler · foot · land · tube · vault · mug · pound

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. tube — the underground
  5. land — a country
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. snap — to click
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. land — ground
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. mug — to rob
  13. land — to come down
  14. tube — a container
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. mug — a face
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. vault — a safe
  19. foot — a measure
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. mug — a cup
  24. pound — for dogs

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