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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: bank · vault · pitcher · ground · club · lie · straw · pit

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. bank — for money
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. bank — for money
  6. club — for dancing
  7. lie — to recline
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. club — a group
  10. ground — the earth
  11. ground — crushed
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. pit — in a race
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. bank — of a river
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. pit — a hole
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. club — for golf
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. ground — a position
  24. vault — a safe

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