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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: pitcher · vault · kid · bark · racket · staff · mug · land

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. bark — to shout
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. mug — to rob
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. staff — employees
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. mug — a cup
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. land — a country
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. kid — child
  18. land — ground
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. kid — to tease
  21. staff — employees
  22. mug — a face
  23. land — to come down
  24. staff — a stick

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