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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: swing · vault · stand · arm · bay · ground · pound · pitch

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. swing — in golf
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. ground — crushed
  7. stand — to bear
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. ground — the earth
  10. vault — a safe
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. pound — a weight
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. pitch — completely
  21. swing — to play on
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. swing — music
  24. arm — part of the body

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