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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 120 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: club · straw · fan · last · racket · bore · bat · vault

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. club — for golf
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. club — for dancing
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. last — finally
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. last — to go on
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. bore — to drill
  20. vault — a safe
  21. bore — to tire
  22. club — a group
  23. last — final
  24. straw — dry grass

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