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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: current · saw · dip · rule · trunk · pitch · vault · bat

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. vault — a safe
  7. pitch — completely
  8. rule — government
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. current — of water
  13. dip — to sink
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. current — happening now
  17. saw — the tool
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. bat — the animal
  22. current — electric
  23. rule — a law
  24. saw — the tool

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