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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: pitch · pit · object · last · saw · pass · club · vault

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. last — final
  4. object — to protest
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. pit — in a race
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. saw — the tool
  9. club — for dancing
  10. vault — a safe
  11. object — a thing
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. club — a group
  14. pit — a hole
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. pass — a permit
  17. object — an aim
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. pitch — completely
  20. club — for golf
  21. saw — the tool
  22. last — to go on
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. last — finally

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