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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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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: coach · wave · pitcher · rest · game · band · fall · vault

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. game — wild animals
  6. rest — what's left
  7. fall — the season
  8. band — a music group
  9. band — a ring
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. game — a match
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. fall — to drop
  17. rest — a break
  18. rest — what's left
  19. fall — to drop
  20. vault — a safe
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. wave — of the sea

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