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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: vault · game · pitcher · mate · cap · ground · arm · cabinet

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. vault — a safe
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. mate — a friend
  6. mate — to breed
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. cap — a lid
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. game — wild animals
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. cap — of ice
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. ground — the earth
  19. mate — a partner
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. ground — crushed
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. game — a match
  24. cap — a hat

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