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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: vault · bat · racket · mouse · bowl · hide · jam · lean

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. lean — to bend
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. bat — the animal
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. vault — a safe
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. lean — thin
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. jam — in traffic

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