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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: pitcher · nail · race · roll · trunk · squash · vault · spell

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. roll — a cake
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. spell — letters
  5. spell — magic
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. roll — a list
  8. race — a contest
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. squash — the sport
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. spell — a short time
  17. vault — a safe
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. squash — to crush
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. race — humankind

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