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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: pitcher · key · safe · pitch · wound · vault · file · plane

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. key — for a lock
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. wound — an injury
  7. plane — a tool
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. file — a line of people
  10. vault — a safe
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. file — a document
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. key — the most important part
  18. wound — an injury
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. key — in music
  23. file — a tool
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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