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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: racket · stand · toast · vault · spring · cell · object · deal

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. spring — of water
  4. spring — the season
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. cell — a phone
  9. vault — a safe
  10. object — an aim
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. deal — to handle
  13. stand — to bear
  14. toast — bread
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. object — to protest
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. spring — a coil
  22. object — a thing
  23. cell — in biology
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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