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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: root · deal · jam · chair · vault · pitcher · racket · squash

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. squash — to crush
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. squash — the sport
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. root — the cause
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. root — of a plant
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. deal — to handle
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. root — of a word
  22. chair — a leader
  23. vault — a safe
  24. deal — a big deal

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