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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: pitch · ball · clip · file · chest · vault · saw · rush

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. file — a document
  3. ball — a dance
  4. pitch — completely
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. rush — hurry
  11. clip — to cut
  12. chest — a box
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. clip — a video
  16. chest — of your body
  17. vault — a safe
  18. clip — for paper
  19. saw — the tool
  20. saw — the tool
  21. ball — a great time
  22. file — a line of people
  23. chest — of your body
  24. file — a tool

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