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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.

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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: fine · vault · race · mark · ball · dip · pitch · lie

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. ball — a dance
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. ball — a great time
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. race — the arms race
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. pitch — completely
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. race — humankind
  16. race — a contest
  17. fine — all right
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. dip — to sink
  20. mark — a grade
  21. mark — a trace
  22. vault — a safe
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. lie — to recline

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