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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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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: bowl · last · safe · pitch · roll · saw · vault · chair

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. chair — a leader
  5. saw — the tool
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. last — finally
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. last — to go on
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. roll — a list
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. pitch — completely
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. roll — a cake
  21. vault — a safe
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. saw — the tool
  24. last — final

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