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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 · file · foot · tear · ball · row · mug · club

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. row — a line
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. ball — a great time
  5. file — a line of people
  6. tear — from crying
  7. file — a document
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. mug — a face
  11. mug — to rob
  12. mug — a cup
  13. tear — to rip
  14. foot — a measure
  15. club — for dancing
  16. file — a tool
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. club — a group
  19. row — to paddle
  20. club — for golf
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. tear — from crying
  23. vault — a safe
  24. ball — a dance

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