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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · saw · ruler · season · pitch · staff · calf · track

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. season — in sport
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. season — of the year
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. staff — employees
  12. pitch — completely
  13. vault — a safe
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. saw — the tool
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. staff — a stick
  18. track — a path
  19. saw — the tool
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. track — to keep track
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. track — a song
  24. staff — employees

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