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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: field · saw · deal · pitch · vault · mate · ground · track

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. vault — a safe
  3. saw — the tool
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. ground — the earth
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. ground — crushed
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. track — a path
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. mate — to breed
  15. mate — a partner
  16. field — for sport
  17. saw — the tool
  18. field — farmland
  19. mate — a friend
  20. deal — to handle
  21. field — a subject
  22. ground — a position
  23. track — a song
  24. pitch — completely

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