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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 116 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: mouse · bay · pitch · pit · saw · vault · mine · board

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. pit — a hole
  5. saw — the tool
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. saw — the tool
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. board — a committee
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. board — to get on
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. pit — in a race
  20. pitch — completely
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. mine — for digging

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