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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: squash · vault · foot · plane · board · snap · fall · pitch

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. pitch — completely
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. plane — a tool
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. vault — a safe
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. squash — the sport
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. fall — to drop
  15. squash — to crush
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. board — a committee
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. fall — the season
  22. fall — to drop
  23. snap — to click
  24. foot — a measure

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