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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: fall · pitch · bowl · chip · jam · vault · row · rash

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. fall — to drop
  8. rash — a series
  9. rash — hasty
  10. chip — for betting
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. chip — to eat
  14. row — a line
  15. pitch — completely
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. row — to paddle
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. fall — to drop
  23. fall — the season
  24. bowl — a dish

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