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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 120 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: vault · wave · spell · land · rest · pitch · root · saw

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. saw — the tool
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. land — to come down
  6. vault — a safe
  7. land — a country
  8. root — of a word
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. rest — what's left
  11. root — the cause
  12. root — of a plant
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. spell — a short time
  16. land — ground
  17. rest — what's left
  18. rest — a break
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. spell — letters
  21. spell — magic
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. pitch — completely
  24. saw — the tool

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