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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · clip · coach · bark · staff · game · vault

  1. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. pitch — completely
  3. game — a match
  4. vault — a safe
  5. staff — a stick
  6. toast — bread
  7. staff — employees
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. staff — employees
  10. game — wild animals
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. bark — to shout
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. clip — to cut
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. clip — a video

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