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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: pitch · bay · bear · court · branch · roll · row · vault

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. court — for sport
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. pitch — completely
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. branch — a division
  7. row — to paddle
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. court — of a king
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. court — of law
  12. bear — the animal
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. row — a line
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. roll — a cake
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. vault — a safe
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. roll — a list
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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