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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: sharp · pitch · vault · rest · scale · pitcher · mouse · pass

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. scale — size or range
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. pass — a permit
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. rest — what's left
  9. vault — a safe
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. scale — in music
  17. rest — a break
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. rest — what's left
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. pitch — completely
  24. pass — to succeed

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