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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. pit — in a race
  3. rule — a law
  4. suit — clothes
  5. rule — government
  6. rash — hasty
  7. pit — a hole
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. clip — for paper
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. pound — a weight
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. rash — a series
  16. net — after costs
  17. suit — in cards
  18. clip — a video
  19. suit — to fit
  20. clip — to cut
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. net — for catching
  23. vault — a safe
  24. net — in sport

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