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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: dip · pitcher · cold · vault · row · board · bowl · mouse

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  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. row — to paddle
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. row — a line
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. dip — to sink
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. board — to get on
  11. vault — a safe
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. cold — an illness
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. cold — not warm
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. board — a committee
  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