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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: squash · suit · vault · bat · spring · pound · pass · bay

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. spring — of water
  3. pass — a permit
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. bat — the animal
  7. squash — the sport
  8. spring — the season
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. spring — a coil
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. suit — clothes
  16. suit — to fit
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. pound — a weight
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. vault — a safe
  21. suit — in cards
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. pound — to hit hard

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