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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: mark · vault · kick · sharp · pound · field · bank · foot

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. foot — a measure
  6. field — a subject
  7. bank — for money
  8. mark — a trace
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. sharp — clever
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. field — for sport
  14. kick — in football
  15. pound — a weight
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. bank — of a river
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. bank — for money
  20. mark — a grade
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. field — farmland

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