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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: kid · craft · row · roll · kick · tube · ground · vault

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. kick — in football
  4. roll — a list
  5. vault — a safe
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. craft — boats
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. row — a line
  10. ground — crushed
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. ground — the earth
  13. ground — a position
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. kid — child
  17. roll — a cake
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. craft — a skill
  21. tube — a container
  22. tube — the underground
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. kid — to tease

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