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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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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: spell · vault · race · fall · suit · hide · pitch · field

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. pitch — completely
  3. suit — in cards
  4. spell — magic
  5. race — the arms race
  6. race — a contest
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. suit — to fit
  9. vault — a safe
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. fall — to drop
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. race — humankind
  14. field — farmland
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. spell — a short time
  17. field — a subject
  18. field — for sport
  19. fall — the season
  20. suit — clothes
  21. spell — letters
  22. fall — to drop
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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