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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: safe · rest · vault · band · pitch · rule · ball · firm

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. rest — what's left
  4. firm — decided
  5. band — a music group
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. band — a ring
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. pitch — completely
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. ball — a great time
  14. rest — what's left
  15. ball — a dance
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. firm — steady
  18. rule — a law
  19. rule — government
  20. rest — a break
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. vault — a safe
  23. firm — a company
  24. pitch — a sports field

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