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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: pitch · cell · mine · vault · roll · arm · tube · cabinet

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. mine — for digging
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. vault — a safe
  14. cell — a phone
  15. tube — a container
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. tube — the underground
  18. cell — in biology
  19. roll — a cake
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. roll — a list
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. pitch — completely

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