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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: race · bat · vault · kick · swing · staff

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. race — humankind
  3. race — a contest
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. staff — a stick
  8. staff — employees
  9. swing — music
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. staff — employees
  12. swing — to play on
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. swing — in golf
  15. vault — a safe
  16. bat — the animal
  17. kick — in football
  18. race — the arms race

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