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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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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: foot · staff · racket · race · shower · rest · fine · vault

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. staff — a stick
  3. rest — what's left
  4. fine — high quality
  5. race — the arms race
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. staff — employees
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. race — a contest
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. rest — what's left
  14. shower — to wash
  15. shower — rain
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. staff — employees
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. race — humankind
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. rest — a break
  22. vault — a safe
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. fine — all right

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