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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: mine · bass · track · pitch · charge · bound · rush · vault

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. rush — hurry
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. bound — obliged
  7. charge — in control
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. track — a path
  10. vault — a safe
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. bound — tied together
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. pitch — completely
  15. charge — electricity
  16. bound — certain
  17. charge — a price
  18. track — to keep track
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. bass — low music
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. track — a song
  24. bass — the fish

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