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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: spring · bowl · pitch · vault · hide · pitcher · patient · trunk

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. spring — a coil
  7. spring — the season
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. vault — a safe
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. pitch — completely
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. spring — of water
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. trunk — of a car

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