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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: clip · pitch · stand · bowl · vault · march · perch · file

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. clip — to cut
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. perch — the fish
  7. march — the month
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. file — a document
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. file — a tool
  13. pitch — completely
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. march — the month
  18. clip — a video
  19. clip — for paper
  20. march — music
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. stand — to bear
  23. vault — a safe
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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