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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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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: wind · mine · stand · mark · object · cell · vault · pitch

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. wind — moving air
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. mine — for digging
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. mark — a grade
  8. vault — a safe
  9. object — a thing
  10. pitch — completely
  11. object — an aim
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. mark — a trace
  14. cell — in biology
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. cell — a phone
  19. stand — to bear
  20. wind — moving air
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. object — to protest
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. mark — to pay attention

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