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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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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: swing · vault · pound · shower · jam · pop · rule · ball

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. rule — government
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. shower — rain
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. pound — a weight
  10. pop — soda
  11. ball — a great time
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. shower — to wash
  15. vault — a safe
  16. pop — to visit
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. pop — music
  20. swing — in golf
  21. ball — a dance
  22. swing — to play on
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. swing — music

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