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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: sharp · calf · staff · racket · row · chip · spring · vault

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. vault — a safe
  5. spring — of water
  6. spring — the season
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. row — to paddle
  11. row — a line
  12. chip — for betting
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. staff — a stick
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. staff — employees
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. chip — to eat
  20. sharp — clever
  21. spring — a coil
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. staff — employees

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