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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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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: present · game · pitch · stick · fall · vault · safe · bowl

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. fall — to drop
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. fall — to drop
  10. vault — a safe
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. pitch — completely
  15. present — the time now
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. present — a gift
  19. game — wild animals
  20. present — there
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. fall — the season
  23. game — a match
  24. safe — out of danger

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