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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: mate · pop · vault · arm · stem · pitcher · sharp · swing

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. vault — a safe
  3. mate — to breed
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. pop — music
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. swing — in golf
  9. swing — to play on
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. mate — a friend
  12. swing — music
  13. pop — soda
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. sharp — clever
  16. pop — to visit
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. mate — a partner
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. stem — to come from
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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