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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: squash · pound · spring · straw · can · sharp · vault · chip

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. can — a tin
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. squash — to crush
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. chip — to eat
  11. squash — the sport
  12. can — a tin
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. spring — the season
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. spring — a coil
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. chip — for betting
  19. vault — a safe
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. sharp — clever
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. can — to be able to
  24. spring — of water

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