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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: pit · cap · pop · vault · scale · track

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. pit — a hole
  3. cap — a hat
  4. track — to keep track
  5. vault — a safe
  6. cap — a lid
  7. pop — music
  8. scale — in music
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. scale — size or range
  11. pop — soda
  12. pit — in a race
  13. pop — to visit
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. cap — of ice
  16. track — a song
  17. track — a path
  18. vault — an arched ceiling

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