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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
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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: shower · charge · pitch · vault · fall · object · ball · coach

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. ball — a dance
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. ball — a great time
  5. charge — electricity
  6. charge — in control
  7. object — an aim
  8. fall — the season
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. fall — to drop
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. object — a thing
  17. shower — to wash
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. pitch — completely
  20. fall — to drop
  21. charge — a price
  22. object — to protest
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. shower — rain

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