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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: vault · mark · nail · mug · bat · bass · mine · calf

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. bat — the animal
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. mark — a grade
  8. vault — a safe
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. mug — to rob
  14. mug — a cup
  15. mark — a trace
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. mine — for digging
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. bass — low music
  23. mug — a face
  24. bass — the fish

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