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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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: season · hide · sharp · bowl · last · vault · pitch · swing

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. sharp — clever
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. vault — a safe
  9. season — of the year
  10. last — to go on
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. swing — music
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. season — in sport
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. swing — in golf
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. last — final
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. last — finally
  23. swing — to play on
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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