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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.

Make a worksheet

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: straw · pitcher · clip · vault · net · stick · bound · staff

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. clip — a video
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. net — in sport
  11. staff — employees
  12. vault — a safe
  13. bound — obliged
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. bound — certain
  16. bound — tied together
  17. clip — to cut
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. clip — for paper
  21. net — after costs
  22. staff — a stick
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. staff — employees

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