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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: vault · leaves · chip · cell · pitch · perch

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. vault — a safe
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. cell — in biology
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. cell — a phone
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. chip — for betting
  12. perch — the fish
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. chip — to eat
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. pitch — completely
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. leaves — of a tree

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