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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 120 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: pitcher · pop · racket · vault · content · staff · wave · cap

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. content — happy
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. cap — of ice
  5. staff — employees
  6. staff — a stick
  7. cap — a hat
  8. pop — to visit
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. pop — soda
  14. vault — a safe
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. pop — music
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. content — the amount
  20. cap — a lid
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. staff — employees
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. wave — with your hand

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