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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. bank — for money
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. craft — boats
  7. bank — of a river
  8. stand — to bear
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. bank — for money
  12. cell — a phone
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. scale — in music
  15. cell — in biology
  16. vault — a safe
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. scale — size or range
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. craft — a skill

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