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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: chair · shower · can · toast · vault · cabinet · march · pitch

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. toast — bread
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. march — the month
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. can — a tin
  8. can — to be able to
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. pitch — completely
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. march — music
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. shower — rain
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. march — the month
  18. shower — to wash
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. can — a tin
  21. chair — a leader
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. chair — a professorship

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