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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: chair · scale · pitcher · racket · vault · can · stand · mate

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. stand — to bear
  3. can — to be able to
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. can — a tin
  6. vault — a safe
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. can — a tin
  10. chair — a leader
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. mate — to breed
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. scale — in music
  17. mate — a friend
  18. scale — size or range
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. scale — for weighing

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