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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: pitcher · can · shower · bark · vault · hand · stand · bass

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. vault — a safe
  3. can — a tin
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. shower — to wash
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. hand — help
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. bark — to shout
  12. hand — in cards
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. can — to be able to
  17. can — a tin
  18. shower — rain
  19. bass — low music
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. stand — to bear
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. bass — the fish
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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