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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 120 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: pitcher · vault · game · row · key · present · swing · ball

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. present — the time now
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. game — wild animals
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. swing — music
  7. key — the most important part
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. ball — a great time
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. swing — to play on
  12. present — there
  13. row — a line
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. game — a match
  16. vault — a safe
  17. ball — a dance
  18. key — in music
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. key — for a lock
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. row — to paddle
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. swing — in golf

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