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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: vault · game · date · rush · dip · racket · squash · bore

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. rush — hurry
  3. game — wild animals
  4. squash — the sport
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. date — the fruit
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. bore — to tire
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. squash — to crush
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. vault — a safe
  21. game — a match
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. dip — to sink
  24. bore — to drill

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