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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 · season · wound · vault · scale · calf · mouse · hand

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. season — of the year
  4. season — in sport
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. scale — size or range
  9. wound — an injury
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. hand — in cards
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. scale — in music
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. vault — a safe
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. hand — help
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. mouse — for a computer

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