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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: pitch · vault · chair · stand · dip · bat · cabinet · scale

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. scale — in music
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. scale — size or range
  9. dip — to sink
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. bat — the animal
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. pitch — completely
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. stand — to bear
  22. chair — a leader
  23. vault — a safe
  24. cabinet — ministers

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