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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: vault · bay · fine · shower · mug · firm · pitch · march

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. mug — to rob
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. fine — high quality
  5. pitch — completely
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. shower — to wash
  8. fine — all right
  9. shower — rain
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. march — the month
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. firm — decided
  16. march — music
  17. mug — a face
  18. vault — a safe
  19. mug — a cup
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. firm — a company
  23. march — the month
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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