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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: pit · wind · scale · sharp · kick · vault · foot · stem

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. scale — size or range
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. wind — moving air
  7. kick — in football
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. pit — a hole
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. stem — to come from
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. foot — a measure
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. pit — in a race
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. wind — moving air
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. vault — a safe
  23. sharp — clever
  24. scale — in music

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