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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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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: dip · foot · ruler · bat · pitcher · vault · stock · spring

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. vault — a safe
  4. spring — of water
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. spring — a coil
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. spring — the season
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. dip — to sink
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. stock — shares
  17. foot — a measure
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. bat — the animal
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. stock — goods
  24. dip — to dunk

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