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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: kid · vault · face · stick · pitcher · dip · bound · season

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. kid — to tease
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. face — to point toward
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. face — part of the head
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. bound — tied together
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. dip — to sink
  16. season — in sport
  17. face — to confront
  18. kid — child
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. season — of the year
  22. bound — obliged
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. vault — a safe

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