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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: pitch · vault · row · mouse · fall · lean · racket · dip

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. pitch — completely
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. lean — to bend
  8. fall — the season
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. dip — to sink
  12. vault — a safe
  13. lean — thin
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. row — a line
  17. fall — to drop
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. fall — to drop
  22. row — to paddle
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. mouse — the animal

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