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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: court · pitch · net · face · vault · mouse · bowl · bound

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. net — for catching
  3. court — of law
  4. net — in sport
  5. pitch — completely
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. court — of a king
  11. court — for sport
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. face — to confront
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. face — to point toward
  19. bound — obliged
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. net — after costs
  22. bound — certain
  23. face — part of the head
  24. bound — tied together

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