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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: saw · mark · pitch · bass · spell · field · vault · rush

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  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. mark — a trace
  2. pitch — completely
  3. rush — hurry
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. spell — magic
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. saw — the tool
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. vault — a safe
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. field — for sport
  14. field — a subject
  15. spell — a short time
  16. bass — low music
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. field — farmland
  19. saw — the tool
  20. bass — the fish
  21. spell — letters
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. mark — a grade
  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