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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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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: kick · march · stand · nail · kid · vault · mug · pound

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. kid — to tease
  3. march — the month
  4. mug — to rob
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. mug — a cup
  9. kid — child
  10. march — music
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. kick — in football
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. stand — to bear
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. march — the month
  23. mug — a face
  24. vault — a safe

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