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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: wind · board · pitch · deal · vault · trunk

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. deal — to handle
  3. wind — moving air
  4. board — a committee
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. pitch — completely
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. vault — a safe
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. wind — moving air
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. board — to get on

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