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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 · bass · bark · dip · bay · field · pass

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. dip — to sink
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. field — farmland
  6. bark — to shout
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. pass — a permit
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. bass — the fish
  12. vault — a safe
  13. pitch — completely
  14. field — for sport
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. field — a subject
  23. bass — low music
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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