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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 116 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: deal · pitcher · kick · bound · perch · mate · straw · vault

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. mate — a partner
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. perch — the fish
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. mate — to breed
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. bound — certain
  12. vault — a safe
  13. bound — tied together
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. mate — a friend
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. deal — to handle
  22. bound — obliged
  23. kick — in football
  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