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

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. lean — to bend
  3. hand — in cards
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. pitch — completely
  10. craft — boats
  11. lean — thin
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. vault — a safe
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. craft — a skill
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. branch — a division
  24. hand — help

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