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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 116 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 · patient · pass · stand · fine · pitch · saw · bark

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. saw — the tool
  3. stand — to bear
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. saw — the tool
  6. pitch — completely
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. pass — a permit
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. vault — a safe
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. bark — to shout
  19. fine — all right
  20. fine — high quality
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. pass — to succeed

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