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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: roll · bat · kick · vault · sharp · drill · pitcher · root

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. sharp — clever
  3. drill — the tool
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. roll — a list
  6. root — of a word
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. drill — a practice
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. vault — a safe
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. roll — a cake
  16. drill — army training
  17. root — the cause
  18. kick — in football
  19. bat — the animal
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. root — of a plant
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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