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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: pitch · field · face · roll · mug · vault · file · plane

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. file — a document
  3. face — to point toward
  4. field — farmland
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. mug — a cup
  7. mug — to rob
  8. file — a tool
  9. vault — a safe
  10. plane — a tool
  11. roll — a list
  12. face — part of the head
  13. field — a subject
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. mug — a face
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. file — a line of people
  18. roll — a cake
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. field — for sport
  21. face — to confront
  22. pitch — completely
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. roll — on a roll

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