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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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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: ground · hand · vault · cabinet · mark · pitch · shower · mouse

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. pitch — completely
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. ground — the earth
  9. ground — a position
  10. shower — rain
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. shower — to wash
  15. hand — in cards
  16. mark — a grade
  17. mark — a trace
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. hand — help
  21. ground — crushed
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. vault — a safe

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