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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 120 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: vault · drill · court · track · pitch · mine · lean · nail

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. lean — to bend
  3. drill — army training
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. lean — thin
  7. court — of a king
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. drill — the tool
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. vault — a safe
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. pitch — completely
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. track — to keep track
  18. track — a song
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. drill — a practice
  21. court — of law
  22. track — a path
  23. court — for sport
  24. mine — for digging

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