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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · game · shower · pit · pitch · scale · chair · dip

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. pitch — completely
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. pit — in a race
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. scale — size or range
  10. chair — a leader
  11. shower — to wash
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. game — wild animals
  14. shower — rain
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. game — a match
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. scale — in music
  21. dip — to sink
  22. pit — a hole
  23. vault — a safe
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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