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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 · land · vault · firm · can · plane · mate · bark

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. vault — a safe
  3. land — a country
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. mate — a partner
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. firm — a company
  9. mate — to breed
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. bark — to shout
  13. land — to come down
  14. mate — a friend
  15. can — to be able to
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. firm — decided
  19. can — a tin
  20. land — ground
  21. firm — steady
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. plane — a tool

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