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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: fine · bowl · fork · mate · vault · pitch

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. pitch — completely
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. fine — all right
  10. fork — in a road
  11. mate — a friend
  12. vault — a safe
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. fine — high quality
  17. mate — to breed
  18. pitch — a sales talk

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