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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: racket · vault · snap · squash · rash · ground · kid · object

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. kid — child
  9. object — to protest
  10. squash — the sport
  11. squash — to crush
  12. ground — crushed
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. vault — a safe
  16. object — an aim
  17. rash — a series
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. rash — hasty
  20. ground — the earth
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. object — a thing
  23. kid — to tease
  24. snap — to click

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