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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: band · snap · vault · foot · pitch · ground · charge · lie

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. ground — the earth
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. foot — a measure
  5. charge — in control
  6. band — a music group
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. snap — to click
  9. vault — a safe
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. ground — crushed
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. lie — to recline
  15. pitch — completely
  16. charge — a price
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. band — a ring
  23. charge — electricity
  24. lie — an untruth

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