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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.

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: wave · vault · pop · arm · mate · pitcher · game · stem

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. pop — to visit
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. game — wild animals
  6. pop — soda
  7. mate — a partner
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. vault — a safe
  10. mate — a friend
  11. mate — to breed
  12. stem — to come from
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. game — a match
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. pop — music

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