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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: pitch · mine · stem · vault · wave · cue · season · cap

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. season — in sport
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. pitch — completely
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. stem — to come from
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. vault — a safe
  10. cue — a hint
  11. cap — of ice
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. cap — a hat
  14. cue — for pool
  15. mine — for digging
  16. season — of the year
  17. cue — a signal
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. cap — a lid
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. stem — a stem cell

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