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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: pitch · bark · pop · date · vault · current · snap · mark

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. snap — to click
  3. vault — a safe
  4. pop — music
  5. current — electric
  6. mark — a trace
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. pop — soda
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. pitch — completely
  13. mark — a grade
  14. current — of water
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. date — the fruit
  18. bark — to shout
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. current — happening now
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. pop — to visit

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