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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 116 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: mouse · vault · pit · chip · pitch · saw · chair · track

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. saw — the tool
  4. track — to keep track
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. vault — a safe
  7. pitch — completely
  8. chip — to eat
  9. saw — the tool
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. pit — in a race
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. track — a path
  14. chip — for betting
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. chair — a leader
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. pit — a hole
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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