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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. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. chest — a box
  3. last — to go on
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. chest — of your body
  6. pitch — completely
  7. face — part of the head
  8. spring — of water
  9. spring — the season
  10. chest — of your body
  11. spring — a coil
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. last — finally
  14. vault — a safe
  15. last — final
  16. cue — for pool
  17. bass — the fish
  18. cue — a hint
  19. face — to confront
  20. bass — low music
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. face — to point toward
  23. cue — a signal
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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