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

Word bank: vault · chair · pitch · deal · calf · current

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. chair — a leader
  4. current — happening now
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. current — electric
  8. deal — to handle
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. current — of water
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. vault — a safe
  17. pitch — completely
  18. chair — a professorship

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