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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: kid · kick · craft · court · vault · squash

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. squash — to crush
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. craft — boats
  6. kid — to tease
  7. court — of a king
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. craft — a skill
  11. court — for sport
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. squash — the sport
  14. vault — a safe
  15. court — of law
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. kid — child
  18. kick — with a leg

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