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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 120 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: vault · club · bowl · foot · object · bat · pop · race

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. race — the arms race
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. vault — a safe
  6. club — for dancing
  7. object — an aim
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. object — a thing
  10. foot — a measure
  11. bat — the animal
  12. club — a group
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. pop — soda
  15. object — to protest
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. race — a contest
  19. pop — music
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. club — for golf
  24. race — humankind

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