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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: vault · rash · spell · row · dip · pop · racket · rock

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. pop — music
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. spell — letters
  7. spell — magic
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. rash — a series
  11. dip — to sink
  12. pop — to visit
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. rock — music
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. rash — hasty
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. row — to paddle
  20. rock — a stone
  21. spell — a short time
  22. row — a line
  23. vault — a safe
  24. pop — soda

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