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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: bat · rash · bark · vault · pass · bore · track · pitch

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. track — a path
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. rash — a series
  10. pitch — completely
  11. track — to keep track
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. bore — to tire
  15. bark — to shout
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. track — a song
  18. vault — a safe
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. pass — a permit
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. rash — hasty
  24. bat — the animal

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