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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: pop · vault · sharp · stem · wave · deal · craft · pitcher

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. vault — a safe
  4. pop — to visit
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. pop — music
  10. deal — to handle
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. sharp — clever
  14. craft — boats
  15. pop — soda
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. stem — to come from
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. craft — a skill
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. craft — a handicraft

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