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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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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: vault · pitch · kick · pit · deal · pound · bound · wind

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. pit — a hole
  4. bound — tied together
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. bound — obliged
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. wind — moving air
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. wind — moving air
  13. bound — certain
  14. kick — in football
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. pitch — completely
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. pound — a weight
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. deal — to handle
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. pit — in a race

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