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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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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: hide · squash · toast · racket · court · sharp · object · vault

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. sharp — clever
  3. court — for sport
  4. object — a thing
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. court — of a king
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. object — to protest
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. squash — the sport
  13. court — of law
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. toast — bread
  16. object — an aim
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. vault — a safe
  24. squash — to crush

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