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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
468
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: sharp · pitch · fine · vault · plane · bass · court · rule

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. court — of law
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. bass — low music
  9. fine — all right
  10. pitch — completely
  11. vault — a safe
  12. court — of a king
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. plane — a tool
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. sharp — clever
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. rule — government
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. bass — the fish
  22. fine — high quality
  23. rule — a law
  24. court — for sport

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