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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: straw · bank · vault · pitch · court · bay · pitcher · nail

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. bank — for money
  6. vault — a safe
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. court — for sport
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. court — of a king
  12. pitch — completely
  13. bank — of a river
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. court — of law
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. bank — for money
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. bay — a horse colour

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