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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: plane · snap · racket · bay · pound · ball · vault · mug

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. mug — to rob
  3. pound — a weight
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. mug — a face
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. snap — to click
  8. mug — a cup
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. ball — a great time
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. plane — a tool
  21. ball — a dance
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. vault — a safe
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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