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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: pitch · cue · bowl · vault · fall · toast

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. cue — a hint
  3. pitch — completely
  4. toast — bread
  5. fall — to drop
  6. fall — the season
  7. fall — to drop
  8. cue — a signal
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. cue — for pool
  12. vault — a safe
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. toast — a drink to someone

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