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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: pitcher · snap · foot · cap · vault · ball · rush · trunk

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. ball — a great time
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. cap — a hat
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. foot — a measure
  10. rush — hurry
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. cap — a lid
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. vault — a safe
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. cap — of ice
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. snap — to click
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. ball — a dance
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. trunk — of a tree

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