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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: cell · pass · vault · straw · pitcher · club

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. cell — in biology
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. club — for golf
  10. pass — a permit
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. club — a group
  13. vault — a safe
  14. cell — a phone
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. club — for dancing
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. cell — in a prison

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