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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 116 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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Word bank
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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: ball · pound · fall · bat · vault · wake · ground · cabinet

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. ball — a great time
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. fall — to drop
  6. bat — the animal
  7. ball — a dance
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. ground — the earth
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. pound — a weight
  14. ground — a position
  15. ground — crushed
  16. wake — a trail
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. vault — a safe
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. fall — to drop
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. fall — the season

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