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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
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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: snap · sharp · pitcher · vault · bear · rest · land · ball

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. land — ground
  3. rest — what's left
  4. land — a country
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. ball — a dance
  7. sharp — clever
  8. rest — what's left
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. snap — to click
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. bear — the animal
  15. rest — a break
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. bear — the animal
  20. ball — a great time
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. vault — a safe
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. land — to come down

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