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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: racket · firm · vault · foot · content · spell · date · bass

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. vault — a safe
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. bass — low music
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. firm — decided
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. spell — letters
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. content — happy
  18. firm — a company
  19. spell — a short time
  20. bass — the fish
  21. date — the fruit
  22. foot — a measure
  23. content — the amount
  24. spell — magic

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