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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: saw · staff · hide · racket · court · pitch · vault · stem

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. vault — a safe
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. pitch — completely
  5. court — for sport
  6. saw — the tool
  7. staff — a stick
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. court — of law
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. stem — to come from
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. staff — employees
  23. saw — the tool
  24. court — of a king

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