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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.

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: pitch · game · current · chair · lean · vault · face · bore

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  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. bore — to drill
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. current — electric
  4. game — a match
  5. lean — to bend
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. face — part of the head
  8. lean — thin
  9. vault — a safe
  10. face — to confront
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. bore — to tire
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. face — to point toward
  15. game — wild animals
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. current — of water
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. current — happening now
  21. pitch — completely
  22. chair — a leader
  23. bore — gave birth
  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