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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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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: vault · ground · file · kid · foot · suit · bowl · ball

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. file — a tool
  5. ball — a great time
  6. ground — the earth
  7. kid — child
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. ball — a dance
  10. ground — crushed
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. ground — a position
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. suit — clothes
  15. vault — a safe
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. kid — to tease
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. foot — a measure
  20. suit — to fit
  21. file — a document
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. suit — in cards
  24. foot — the bottom

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