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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: temple · present · squash · vault · tear · tube · stick · pitch

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. present — a gift
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. pitch — completely
  10. present — there
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. tear — from crying
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. tear — to rip
  16. squash — the sport
  17. squash — to crush
  18. vault — a safe
  19. tube — a container
  20. tear — from crying
  21. present — the time now
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. tube — the underground
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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