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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. shower — rain
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. root — of a plant
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. root — the cause
  8. rash — a series
  9. pit — in a race
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. rash — hasty
  12. shower — to wash
  13. squash — to crush
  14. pit — a hole
  15. squash — the sport
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. ball — a great time
  18. vault — a safe
  19. ball — a dance
  20. root — of a word
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. bat — the animal

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