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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 players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. vault — a safe
  3. roll — a cake
  4. firm — steady
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. board — a committee
  13. firm — decided
  14. stock — shares
  15. stock — goods
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. firm — a company
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. board — to get on
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. pitch — completely
  23. roll — a list
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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