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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. vault — a safe
  3. tube — a container
  4. pit — in a race
  5. season — of the year
  6. can — a tin
  7. season — in sport
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. can — to be able to
  11. cold — not warm
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. rock — a stone
  15. cell — a phone
  16. pit — a hole
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. cold — an illness
  20. rock — music
  21. cell — in biology
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. tube — the underground
  24. can — a tin

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