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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: calf · pitcher · bass · shower · vault · date · arm · stock

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. shower — rain
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. date — the fruit
  8. bass — low music
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. shower — to wash
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. stock — goods
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. vault — a safe
  23. stock — shares
  24. date — on the calendar

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