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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: face · deal · pound · trunk · game · pitcher · vault · file

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. face — to point toward
  4. game — wild animals
  5. face — to confront
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. file — a line of people
  12. file — a tool
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. vault — a safe
  17. file — a document
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. face — part of the head
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. game — a match
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. deal — to handle
  24. pitcher — a jug

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