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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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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: plane · vault · kick · pitch · racket · cell

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  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. kick — a thrill
  2. kick — in football
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. cell — a phone
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. plane — a tool
  10. pitch — completely
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. cell — in biology
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. vault — a safe
  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