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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: field · rule · cap · band · pitch · vault · bore · fan

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. bore — to drill
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. field — farmland
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. rule — a law
  8. cap — a hat
  9. cap — a lid
  10. field — for sport
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. field — a subject
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. pitch — completely
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. band — a ring
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. vault — a safe
  19. cap — of ice
  20. band — a music group
  21. rule — government
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. bore — to tire

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