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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 · mine · current · sharp · stem · foot · lie · vault

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. foot — a measure
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. stem — to come from
  10. current — of water
  11. sharp — clever
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. vault — a safe
  14. current — electric
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. mine — for digging
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. lie — to recline
  24. current — happening now

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