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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. roll — a cake
  13. ball — a great time
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. ball — a dance
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. roll — a list
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. wake — a trail
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. vault — a safe
  24. leaves — of a tree

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