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

Word bank: vault · club · rule · pitch · wake · suit

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. rule — a law
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. suit — in cards
  5. suit — clothes
  6. club — for dancing
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. wake — a trail
  9. club — a group
  10. pitch — completely
  11. vault — a safe
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. suit — to fit
  14. club — for golf
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. rule — government

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