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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 120 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: bass · chip · drill · calf · vault · stick · pitcher · perch

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. chip — to eat
  5. drill — the tool
  6. vault — a safe
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. bass — low music
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. perch — the fish
  14. drill — army training
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. bass — the fish
  20. chip — for betting
  21. drill — a practice
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. calf — a young animal

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