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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 120 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: vault · pitch · foot · rest · rock · club · mate · face

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. mate — a partner
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. face — to point toward
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. rock — music
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. club — for golf
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. club — for dancing
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. pitch — completely
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. rest — a break
  15. rest — what's left
  16. rock — a stone
  17. vault — a safe
  18. face — part of the head
  19. rest — what's left
  20. mate — to breed
  21. foot — a measure
  22. mate — a friend
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. face — to confront

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