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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: bowl · pitch · vault · band · pop · plane · bat · stock

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. band — a music group
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. pop — to visit
  9. pop — soda
  10. stock — shares
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. pitch — completely
  13. pop — music
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. stock — goods
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. vault — a safe
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. bat — the animal
  21. plane — a tool
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. band — a ring
  24. plane — an aircraft

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