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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: bass · temple · object · hand · charge · stock · vault · pitch

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. object — to protest
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. vault — a safe
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. charge — a price
  9. object — a thing
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. object — an aim
  12. hand — in cards
  13. bass — low music
  14. charge — in control
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. hand — help
  19. pitch — completely
  20. stock — shares
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. charge — electricity
  23. stock — goods
  24. bass — the fish

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