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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: mate · lash · march · racket · chip · foot · ground · vault

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. mate — a partner
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. ground — the earth
  5. foot — a measure
  6. ground — crushed
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. march — the month
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. ground — a position
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. chip — for betting
  14. mate — to breed
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. chip — to eat
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. march — the month
  20. mate — a friend
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. vault — a safe
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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