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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: vault · deal · pitch · root · band · plane · mine · pass

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. root — of a word
  4. mine — for digging
  5. plane — a tool
  6. band — a music group
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. pass — a permit
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. vault — a safe
  12. root — of a plant
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. pitch — completely
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. band — a ring
  17. root — the cause
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. deal — to handle
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. mine — belonging to me

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