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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: pitcher · racket · stand · root · pound · lash · vault · kid

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. vault — a safe
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. pound — a weight
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. root — of a word
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. kid — to tease
  13. root — of a plant
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. root — the cause
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. stand — to bear

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