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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 120 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: rock · wound · drill · pitch · vault · bark · bowl · face

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. wound — an injury
  3. bark — to shout
  4. drill — army training
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. vault — a safe
  11. drill — the tool
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. wound — an injury
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. pitch — completely
  19. face — to point toward
  20. rock — a stone
  21. face — to confront
  22. rock — music
  23. drill — a practice
  24. bowl — a football final

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