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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 116 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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Word bank
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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: game · vault · charge · pitch · straw · rush

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. charge — electricity
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. rush — hurry
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. vault — a safe
  10. charge — in control
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. game — wild animals
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. charge — a price
  17. game — a match
  18. pitch — a sports field

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