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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: dip · racket · key · can · vault · fall · bat · toast

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. fall — to drop
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. key — in music
  7. fall — the season
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. can — to be able to
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. can — a tin
  12. vault — a safe
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. fall — to drop
  16. key — for a lock
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. bat — the animal
  19. dip — to sink
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. can — a tin
  22. key — the most important part
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. toast — bread

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