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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 116 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.

Make a worksheet

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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Word bank
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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: staff · vault · field · stand · sharp · pitcher

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. field — for sport
  3. staff — employees
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. stand — to bear
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. field — a subject
  11. sharp — clever
  12. staff — employees
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. field — farmland
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. staff — a stick
  18. vault — a safe

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