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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: root · rest · vault · bowl · stick · bat · swing · can

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. rest — a break
  3. bat — the animal
  4. rest — what's left
  5. can — to be able to
  6. root — of a word
  7. swing — in golf
  8. root — the cause
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. swing — music
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. vault — a safe
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. can — a tin
  17. can — a tin
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. swing — to play on
  23. root — of a plant
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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