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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: pound · fine · pop · current · bat · jam · vault · kid

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. bat — the animal
  3. current — electric
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. fine — high quality
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. pop — to visit
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. pop — soda
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. fine — all right
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. pop — music
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. current — happening now
  20. current — of water
  21. vault — a safe
  22. kid — to tease
  23. pound — a weight
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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