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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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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 · bear · wave · cell · pitch · sharp · fork · current

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. pitch — completely
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. cell — in biology
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. current — happening now
  11. sharp — clever
  12. current — electric
  13. bear — the animal
  14. cell — a phone
  15. bear — the animal
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. vault — a safe
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. current — of water
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. fork — in a road
  24. pitch — a sports field

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