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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: hide · calf · court · vault · file · pitcher · present · ground

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. ground — crushed
  5. file — a tool
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. court — of a king
  9. court — for sport
  10. ground — the earth
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. file — a line of people
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. vault — a safe
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. court — of law
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. ground — a position
  20. present — there
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. file — a document
  23. present — a gift
  24. pitcher — a jug

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