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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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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: wake · pitcher · fall · vault · spell · perch

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. fall — to drop
  4. fall — to drop
  5. spell — a short time
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. spell — letters
  8. wake — a trail
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. perch — the fish
  13. spell — magic
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. vault — a safe
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. fall — the season

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