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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 116 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: rush · spring · pitch · drill · vault · racket · calf · fall

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. vault — a safe
  7. spring — a coil
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. pitch — completely
  10. spring — the season
  11. drill — army training
  12. fall — to drop
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. drill — a practice
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. rush — hurry
  17. spring — of water
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. fall — to drop
  22. fall — the season
  23. drill — the tool
  24. pitch — a sports field

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