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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.

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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: object · club · rock · stick · pitch · vault · nail · spring

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. club — a group
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. object — to protest
  9. club — for dancing
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. club — for golf
  12. spring — of water
  13. spring — the season
  14. spring — a coil
  15. object — a thing
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. pitch — completely
  20. rock — music
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. object — an aim
  23. vault — a safe
  24. rock — a stone

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