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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: cold · cabinet · season · fine · stand · pitch · net · vault

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. fine — all right
  3. fine — high quality
  4. net — in sport
  5. net — after costs
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. vault — a safe
  8. net — for catching
  9. cold — not warm
  10. pitch — completely
  11. season — in sport
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. season — of the year
  23. cold — an illness
  24. stand — to bear

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