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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: vault · pound · racket · rash · bear · key · mark · object

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. mark — a grade
  5. rash — a series
  6. bear — the animal
  7. object — an aim
  8. object — to protest
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. mark — a trace
  11. vault — a safe
  12. bear — the animal
  13. key — the most important part
  14. object — a thing
  15. pound — a weight
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. rash — hasty
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. key — in music
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. key — for a lock

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