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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: last · mug · pop · rule · vault · band · field · pitch

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. field — farmland
  3. field — for sport
  4. last — to go on
  5. pop — soda
  6. last — finally
  7. mug — a face
  8. band — a ring
  9. rule — a law
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. mug — a cup
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. last — final
  16. field — a subject
  17. pop — to visit
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. band — a music group
  20. rule — government
  21. pop — music
  22. mug — to rob
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. vault — a safe

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