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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.

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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: fork · pitcher · ground · craft · wave · vault · bear · mate

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. mate — a friend
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. craft — boats
  8. mate — a partner
  9. craft — a skill
  10. ground — a position
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. ground — the earth
  15. bear — the animal
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. bear — the animal
  18. mate — to breed
  19. ground — crushed
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. fork — in a road
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. vault — a safe

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