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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: drill · stick · stand · net · vault · jam · pitcher · lie

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. drill — army training
  3. vault — a safe
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. lie — to recline
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. drill — a practice
  8. net — in sport
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. net — for catching
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. drill — the tool
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. net — after costs
  22. stand — to bear
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. stand — on your feet

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