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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: pitch · vault · season · suit · firm · ground · rule · fork

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. firm — steady
  4. season — of the year
  5. ground — the earth
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. vault — a safe
  8. rule — government
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. suit — to fit
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. rule — a law
  13. suit — clothes
  14. suit — in cards
  15. firm — a company
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. firm — decided
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. ground — crushed
  20. fork — in a road
  21. pitch — completely
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. season — in sport

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