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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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. vault — a safe
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. stock — shares
  8. wake — a trail
  9. stand — to bear
  10. snap — to click
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. stock — goods
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. wax — to grow

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