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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: kick · racket · wind · vault · kid · foot

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. foot — a measure
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. vault — a safe
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. kick — in football
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. kid — to tease
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. wind — moving air
  17. wind — moving air
  18. kid — child

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