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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: bore · nail · pitch · present · degree · game · vault · stem

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. game — a match
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. stem — to come from
  7. vault — a safe
  8. bore — to drill
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. present — the time now
  13. degree — temperature
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. degree — from a university
  16. bore — to tire
  17. present — a gift
  18. degree — an amount
  19. present — there
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. game — wild animals
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. pitch — a sports field

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