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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: toast · pitch · vault · pop · suit · bat · bank · cold

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. suit — to fit
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. cold — an illness
  6. pop — music
  7. bank — for money
  8. pop — to visit
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. pop — soda
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. bat — the animal
  14. vault — a safe
  15. bank — of a river
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. suit — clothes
  19. toast — bread
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. cold — not warm
  22. suit — in cards
  23. pitch — completely
  24. bank — for money

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