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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 · plane · wake · tear · pit · mug · chip · vault

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. pitch — completely
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. tear — to rip
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. chip — to eat
  9. mug — a cup
  10. mug — a face
  11. wake — a trail
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. pit — a hole
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. tear — from crying
  16. tear — from crying
  17. mug — to rob
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. pit — in a race
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. plane — a tool
  24. vault — a safe

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