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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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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: vault · pitch · deal · leaves · plane · land · jam · calf

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. pitch — completely
  13. land — ground
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. vault — a safe
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. land — a country
  20. deal — to handle
  21. land — to come down
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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