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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: can · temple · bay · stand · vault · pitch · last · mine

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. vault — a safe
  5. can — a tin
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. pitch — completely
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. can — a tin
  12. last — final
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. last — finally
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. last — to go on
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. can — to be able to
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. stand — to bear

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