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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: wound · kick · cue · pitch · vault · season · pop · lean

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  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. wound — an injury
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. wound — an injury
  4. cue — for pool
  5. pitch — completely
  6. vault — a safe
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. pop — to visit
  10. lean — thin
  11. kick — in football
  12. cue — a hint
  13. pop — soda
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. season — in sport
  16. season — of the year
  17. cue — a signal
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. pop — music
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. lean — to bend
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  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