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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: toast · pitch · wound · fork · cabinet · vault · object · face

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. face — part of the head
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. wound — an injury
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. object — a thing
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. pitch — completely
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. object — to protest
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. wound — an injury
  19. fork — in a road
  20. face — to point toward
  21. object — an aim
  22. face — to confront
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. vault — a safe

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