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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
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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: hand · dip · pitch · vault · wind · stock · bass · bat

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. bass — the fish
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. hand — in cards
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. stock — shares
  7. dip — to sink
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. wind — moving air
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. stock — goods
  15. hand — help
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. wind — moving air
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. vault — a safe
  22. pitch — completely
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. bass — low 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