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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: bark · key · field · band · pitch · rush · deal · vault

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. key — the most important part
  6. band — a ring
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. bark — to shout
  10. key — in music
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. rush — hurry
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. vault — a safe
  15. key — for a lock
  16. field — farmland
  17. field — a subject
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. pitch — completely
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. deal — to handle
  24. band — a music group

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