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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 120 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: wake · vault · pitch · tube · net · pop

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. tube — a container
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. net — after costs
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. pop — music
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. pitch — completely
  11. pop — soda
  12. vault — a safe
  13. pop — to visit
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. net — in sport
  16. net — for catching
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. tube — the underground

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