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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: stick · spring · squash · mark · staff · vault · straw · pitcher

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. vault — a safe
  3. squash — to crush
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. staff — employees
  10. spring — a coil
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. staff — a stick
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. squash — the sport
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. staff — employees
  20. mark — a trace
  21. spring — the season
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. mark — a grade
  24. spring — of water

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