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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: vault · object · pound · trunk · rush · pop · mug · can

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. rush — hurry
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. can — a tin
  7. vault — a safe
  8. object — to protest
  9. object — an aim
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. mug — to rob
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. pop — soda
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. can — to be able to
  16. pop — to visit
  17. mug — a face
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. pound — a weight
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. mug — a cup
  22. object — a thing
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. pop — 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