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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: net · object · wake · pitcher · mug · straw · rock · vault

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. net — for catching
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. rock — a stone
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. object — an aim
  11. vault — a safe
  12. wake — a trail
  13. net — after costs
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. mug — to rob
  16. net — in sport
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. mug — a cup
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. rock — music
  21. object — to protest
  22. mug — a face
  23. object — a thing
  24. pitcher — a jug

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