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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: pitch · rash · wind · cell · vault · bore

  1. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  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. wind — to turn a key
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. wind — moving air
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. vault — a safe
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. bore — to drill
  10. rash — hasty
  11. bore — to tire
  12. pitch — completely
  13. rash — a series
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. wind — moving air
  16. cell — in biology
  17. cell — a phone
  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