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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: last · pitch · craft · toast · can · vault · ball · shower

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. ball — a dance
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. craft — boats
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. shower — rain
  8. craft — a skill
  9. last — to go on
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. ball — a great time
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. can — a tin
  17. pitch — completely
  18. last — final
  19. can — a tin
  20. toast — bread
  21. last — finally
  22. can — to be able to
  23. shower — to wash
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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