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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 · lean · racket · content · charge · pop · ground · pound

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. ground — crushed
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. ground — the earth
  5. lean — thin
  6. content — the amount
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. pop — to visit
  9. pound — a weight
  10. charge — in control
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. lean — to bend
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. pop — music
  15. vault — a safe
  16. ground — a position
  17. pop — soda
  18. charge — a price
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. content — happy
  24. charge — electricity

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