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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: shower · file · vault · pitch · board · race

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. race — the arms race
  4. race — humankind
  5. file — a document
  6. board — a committee
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. file — a tool
  9. shower — to wash
  10. shower — rain
  11. board — to get on
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. vault — a safe
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. pitch — completely
  16. race — a contest
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. file — a line of people

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