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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: vault · pitch · stock · date · pitcher · spell · kick · deal

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. spell — letters
  3. stock — shares
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. spell — magic
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. stock — goods
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. deal — to handle
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. vault — a safe
  19. date — the fruit
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. pitch — completely
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. kick — in football

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