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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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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 · band · staff · branch · roll · vault · bore · shower

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. pitch — completely
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. band — a music group
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. shower — to wash
  7. vault — a safe
  8. bore — to tire
  9. staff — employees
  10. bore — to drill
  11. staff — employees
  12. shower — rain
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. band — a ring
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. staff — a stick
  20. branch — a division
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. roll — a cake
  24. roll — a list

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