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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: craft · pop · jam · vault · degree · sharp · pound · pitch

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. pitch — completely
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. pound — a weight
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. craft — boats
  13. pop — music
  14. pop — to visit
  15. vault — a safe
  16. sharp — clever
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. degree — an amount
  19. degree — temperature
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. pop — soda
  22. degree — from a university
  23. craft — a skill
  24. pound — for dogs

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