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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: bowl · plane · leaves · pitch · vault · degree · pitcher · mate

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. mate — a partner
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. pitch — completely
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. degree — temperature
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. mate — a friend
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. vault — a safe
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. plane — a tool
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. mate — to breed
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. degree — from a university
  20. degree — an amount
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. bowl — to roll

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