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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 · toast · ball · land · face · bay · swing · vault

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. land — ground
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. ball — a dance
  7. toast — bread
  8. land — to come down
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. swing — to play on
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. face — part of the head
  13. face — to point toward
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. land — a country
  16. ball — a great time
  17. swing — music
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. face — to confront
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. bat — the animal
  23. vault — a safe
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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