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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: field · racket · stick · tube · vault · bank · snap · pound

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. field — for sport
  3. bank — for money
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. field — farmland
  10. snap — to click
  11. field — a subject
  12. bank — of a river
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. vault — a safe
  16. pound — a weight
  17. tube — a container
  18. tube — the underground
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. bank — for money
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. racket — for tennis

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