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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: game · vault · hide · rest · swing · bay · stick · pitcher

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. rest — what's left
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. swing — to play on
  7. vault — a safe
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. game — a match
  10. rest — a break
  11. game — wild animals
  12. swing — music
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. swing — in golf
  15. rest — what's left
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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