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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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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 · stand · spring · mate · bore · present · vault · kick

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. mate — a partner
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. mate — a friend
  8. bore — to drill
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. kick — in football
  11. present — the time now
  12. mate — to breed
  13. bore — to tire
  14. spring — a coil
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. spring — of water
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. present — a gift
  21. spring — the season
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. vault — a safe
  24. present — there

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