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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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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: safe · bat · vault · capital · squash · mug · racket · present

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. present — there
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. present — the time now
  5. squash — the sport
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. bat — the animal
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. mug — a face
  13. capital — money
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. mug — a cup
  17. mug — to rob
  18. vault — a safe
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. present — a gift
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. capital — a city

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