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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: foot · staff · pound · current · can · wound · vault · rest

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. current — electric
  4. vault — a safe
  5. can — to be able to
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. wound — an injury
  8. current — happening now
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. can — a tin
  13. pound — a weight
  14. can — a tin
  15. staff — employees
  16. wound — an injury
  17. rest — what's left
  18. current — of water
  19. staff — employees
  20. rest — a break
  21. staff — a stick
  22. rest — what's left
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. pound — to hit hard

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