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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: wave · court · pass · pitch · vault · spring · roll · last

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. last — final
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. court — of law
  6. vault — a safe
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. pitch — completely
  9. pass — a permit
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. last — finally
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. spring — of water
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. court — of a king
  17. last — to go on
  18. spring — a coil
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. court — for sport
  21. roll — a cake
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. roll — a list

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