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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: squash · foot · kid · clip · ball · vault · key · mine

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. squash — to crush
  4. clip — a video
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. vault — a safe
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. kid — child
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. ball — a great time
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. kid — to tease
  14. clip — for paper
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. key — for a lock
  18. clip — to cut
  19. key — in music
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. ball — a dance
  22. squash — the sport
  23. mine — for digging
  24. key — the most important part

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