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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: mark · band · swing · racket · fall · vault · kick · ball

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. band — a ring
  3. kick — in football
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. swing — to play on
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. band — a music group
  8. mark — a trace
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. mark — a grade
  11. fall — to drop
  12. ball — a great time
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. swing — in golf
  16. ball — a dance
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. swing — music
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. fall — the season
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. vault — a safe
  24. band — a rubber band

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