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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: pop · roll · jam · lash · vault · field · can · pound

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. field — farmland
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. can — a tin
  10. field — for sport
  11. roll — a cake
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. field — a subject
  14. can — to be able to
  15. roll — a list
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. pop — soda
  20. pop — music
  21. can — a tin
  22. vault — a safe
  23. pound — a weight
  24. pop — to visit

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