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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: bat · vault · pitch · foot · bound · last · hand · craft

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. bound — obliged
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. hand — help
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. craft — boats
  8. hand — in cards
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. pitch — completely
  12. last — to go on
  13. last — finally
  14. foot — a measure
  15. last — final
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. bound — tied together
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. bat — the animal
  21. vault — a safe
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. craft — a skill

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