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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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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: rash · cap · pound · dip · swing · mate · vault · drill

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. cap — of ice
  4. drill — a practice
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. rash — a series
  7. mate — to breed
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. drill — army training
  11. swing — in golf
  12. swing — music
  13. mate — a friend
  14. vault — a safe
  15. mate — a partner
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. cap — a lid
  18. rash — hasty
  19. pound — a weight
  20. drill — the tool
  21. dip — to sink
  22. swing — to play on
  23. cap — a hat
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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