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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 116 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: mark · pitcher · vault · spell · band · stick · dip · staff

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. spell — a short time
  3. spell — letters
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. spell — magic
  8. band — a ring
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. staff — employees
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. band — a music group
  15. staff — a stick
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. dip — to sink
  20. mark — a grade
  21. mark — a trace
  22. vault — a safe
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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