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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: cell · vault · bore · cap · pitch · rule

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. cap — of ice
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. bore — to tire
  8. vault — a safe
  9. bore — to drill
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. cap — a lid
  13. rule — government
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. cell — a phone
  16. rule — a law
  17. cell — in biology
  18. cap — a hat

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