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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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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 · scale · foot · chair · mouse · ground · kick

  1. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  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. chair — a leader
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. ground — a position
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. ground — the earth
  11. pitch — completely
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. foot — a measure
  14. scale — size or range
  15. ground — crushed
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. scale — in music
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. kick — in football
  23. foot — 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