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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: calf · march · bear · racket · saw · vault · bat · kid

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. march — the month
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. vault — a safe
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. kid — to tease
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. march — the month
  15. march — music
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bat — the animal
  19. bear — the animal
  20. saw — the tool
  21. kid — child
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. saw — the tool

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