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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 · saw · capital · bark · squash · staff · kick · foot

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. saw — the tool
  3. vault — a safe
  4. staff — a stick
  5. kick — in football
  6. squash — the sport
  7. bark — to shout
  8. capital — money
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. saw — the tool
  14. squash — to crush
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. staff — employees
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. capital — a city
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. staff — employees

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