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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: wake · vault · pitch · tube · net · pop · scale · bowl

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. pop — soda
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. tube — the underground
  8. vault — a safe
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. net — after costs
  13. pop — to visit
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. wake — a trail
  16. net — in sport
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. pop — music
  20. tube — a container
  21. scale — size or range
  22. scale — in music
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. net — for catching

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