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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: pop · chest · jam · pitch · vault · perch · fork · club

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. pop — to visit
  3. pop — soda
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. pop — music
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. chest — of your body
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. chest — of your body
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. chest — a box
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. club — for golf
  16. club — for dancing
  17. pitch — completely
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. club — a group
  20. fork — in a road
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. vault — a safe
  24. pitch — a sports field

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