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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: saw · vault · stick · foot · hand · bat · ground · club

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. club — a group
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. vault — a safe
  5. bat — the animal
  6. ground — the earth
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. saw — the tool
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. saw — the tool
  12. club — for golf
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. club — for dancing
  17. hand — in cards
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. hand — help
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. foot — a measure
  24. ground — crushed

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