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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 120 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: stick · spell · pound · racket · kid · vault · hide · squash

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. vault — a safe
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. spell — magic
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. spell — a short time
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. pound — a weight
  17. spell — letters
  18. kid — to tease
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. squash — to crush
  21. kid — child
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. squash — the sport
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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