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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: bat · vault · racket · perch · mug · stand · ground · hide

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. vault — a safe
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. mug — to rob
  7. mug — a face
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. mug — a cup
  10. ground — crushed
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. bat — the animal
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. stand — to bear
  17. ground — a position
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. perch — the fish
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. ground — the earth

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