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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. pit — a hole
  5. pit — in a race
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. last — finally
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. vault — a safe
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. cap — of ice
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. last — final
  17. cap — a lid
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. last — to go on
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. wake — a trail
  24. cap — a hat

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