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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 · cap · spring · kick · hide · dip · bass · vault

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. spring — of water
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. cap — a hat
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. bass — the fish
  10. spring — the season
  11. vault — a safe
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. cap — a lid
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. spring — a coil
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. cap — of ice
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. pitch — completely
  23. bass — low music
  24. dip — to sink

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