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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: vault · plane · chip · pitch · lash · roll · bark · charge

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  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. pitch — completely
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. bark — to shout
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. charge — a price
  7. chip — for betting
  8. plane — a tool
  9. roll — a cake
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. roll — a list
  14. vault — a safe
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. charge — in control
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. charge — electricity
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. chip — to eat
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. plane — an aircraft
  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