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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.

Make a worksheet

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: bat · wake · pitcher · pitch · mug · vault · kid · can

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. kid — child
  3. vault — a safe
  4. can — to be able to
  5. kid — to tease
  6. mug — to rob
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. mug — a cup
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. can — a tin
  13. can — a tin
  14. wake — a trail
  15. bat — the animal
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. mug — a face
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. pitch — completely
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. pitch — a sports field

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