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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. pit — in a race
  6. wake — a trail
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. band — a music group
  11. face — to point toward
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. dip — to sink
  14. band — a ring
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. pitch — completely
  17. pit — a hole
  18. face — to confront
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. stand — to bear
  21. face — part of the head
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. vault — a safe

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