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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: can · arm · vault · row · bat · mug · racket · chest

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. vault — a safe
  5. can — a tin
  6. can — to be able to
  7. can — a tin
  8. mug — a face
  9. chest — a box
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. mug — to rob
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. chest — of your body
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. bat — the animal
  21. row — to paddle
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. row — a line
  24. chest — of your body

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