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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: date · lash · vault · present · pitch · chest · plane · pop

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. plane — a tool
  4. present — a gift
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. chest — of your body
  9. pop — to visit
  10. date — the fruit
  11. pop — music
  12. chest — a box
  13. vault — a safe
  14. pitch — completely
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. chest — of your body
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. pop — soda
  23. present — there
  24. plane — an aircraft

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