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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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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: vault · cabinet · rock · present · racket · ground · squash · face

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. ground — the earth
  3. face — to confront
  4. rock — music
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. face — to point toward
  8. ground — crushed
  9. rock — a stone
  10. present — a gift
  11. face — part of the head
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. vault — a safe
  16. squash — the sport
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. ground — a position
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. squash — to crush
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. present — the time now

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