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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: rest · rock · mark · pound · vault · foot · kid · mine

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. rest — a break
  3. pound — a weight
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. rock — a stone
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. vault — a safe
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. kid — to tease
  10. kid — child
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. rest — what's left
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. mine — for digging
  15. rest — what's left
  16. mark — a trace
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. foot — a measure
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. rock — music
  24. mark — a grade

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