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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: coach · last · bound · pitch · pit · bass · vault · cap

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. pitch — completely
  6. last — final
  7. pit — in a race
  8. bound — obliged
  9. cap — a hat
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. bass — low music
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. vault — a safe
  14. bound — tied together
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. bass — the fish
  18. last — to go on
  19. cap — a lid
  20. cap — of ice
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. last — finally
  24. bound — certain

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