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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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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: date · pitch · stick · vault · craft · bore · deal · spring

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. craft — a skill
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. spring — a coil
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. bore — to tire
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. spring — the season
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. pitch — completely
  16. vault — a safe
  17. date — the fruit
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. deal — to handle
  22. craft — boats
  23. spring — of water
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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