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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 120 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
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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: bat · pitch · vault · mine · leaves · fan · drill · track

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. vault — a safe
  3. drill — a practice
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. track — a path
  7. drill — the tool
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. pitch — completely
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. bat — the animal
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. track — a song
  20. track — to keep track
  21. mine — for digging
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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