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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 116 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: kick · cold · bark · firm · vault · plane · pitch · present

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. firm — steady
  3. present — the time now
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. bark — to shout
  7. kick — in football
  8. cold — not warm
  9. present — there
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. plane — a tool
  14. vault — a safe
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. pitch — completely
  18. firm — decided
  19. firm — a company
  20. cold — an illness
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. present — a gift
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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