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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: bass · court · pitch · snap · object · fork · cabinet · vault

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. object — a thing
  4. court — for sport
  5. object — an aim
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. fork — in a road
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. bass — the fish
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. snap — to click
  15. object — to protest
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. court — of law
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. pitch — completely
  23. court — of a king
  24. bass — low music

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