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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: snap · safe · pitch · coach · mine · saw · vault · field

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. vault — a safe
  4. mine — for digging
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. snap — to click
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. saw — the tool
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. pitch — completely
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. field — for sport
  19. field — a subject
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. saw — the tool
  22. field — farmland
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. pitch — a sports field

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