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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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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: mine · pitcher · vault · lean · cell · bat · bear · fork

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. bear — the animal
  6. fork — in a road
  7. bat — the animal
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. cell — in biology
  10. bear — the animal
  11. lean — thin
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. mine — for digging
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. lean — to bend
  20. vault — a safe
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. cell — a phone

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