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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: stem · vault · mate · dip · pitcher · bowl · rest · net

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. net — after costs
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. net — in sport
  7. rest — what's left
  8. mate — a partner
  9. vault — a safe
  10. rest — what's left
  11. mate — a friend
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. stem — to come from
  16. dip — to sink
  17. net — for catching
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. mate — to breed
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. bowl — a football final

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