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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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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 players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. last — final
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. rush — hurry
  5. key — for a lock
  6. tube — a container
  7. pitch — completely
  8. last — to go on
  9. key — in music
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. vault — a safe
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. charge — a price
  14. last — finally
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. key — the most important part
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. tube — the underground
  19. charge — electricity
  20. charge — in control
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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