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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: club · clip · pitcher · bore · foot · spell · ball · vault

  1. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. bore — to tire
  5. foot — a measure
  6. club — a group
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. club — for dancing
  9. bore — to drill
  10. spell — letters
  11. ball — a great time
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. clip — a video
  17. spell — magic
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. vault — a safe
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. clip — for paper
  22. ball — a dance
  23. club — for golf
  24. spell — a short time

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