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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: pitcher · game · vault · deal · leaves · bay · arm · rock

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. game — wild animals
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. game — a match
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. deal — to handle
  9. rock — music
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. vault — a safe
  15. rock — a stone
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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