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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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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: fine · fan · vault · arm · root · pitch · bay · spell

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. fine — high quality
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. pitch — completely
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. fine — all right
  12. spell — letters
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. spell — magic
  15. root — of a plant
  16. vault — a safe
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. root — of a word
  20. spell — a short time
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. root — the cause
  24. arm — a part of something

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