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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: arm · ground · vault · pop · stick · kick · date · rock

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. ground — the earth
  3. rock — music
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. pop — soda
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. pop — music
  9. ground — crushed
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. date — the fruit
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. kick — in football
  15. ground — a position
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. vault — a safe
  19. rock — a stone
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. pop — to visit

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