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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: rush · fork · club · sharp · pitch · pop · bowl · vault

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  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. sharp — exactly
  2. club — for dancing
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. pop — music
  5. rush — hurry
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. pop — to visit
  8. club — a group
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. club — for golf
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. vault — a safe
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. fork — in a road
  19. sharp — clever
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. pitch — completely
  23. pop — soda
  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