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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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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: fan · rest · pit · bound · ground · vault · scale · pitcher

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. rest — what's left
  4. pit — in a race
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. ground — crushed
  7. pit — a hole
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. rest — what's left
  13. ground — the earth
  14. bound — obliged
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. rest — a break
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. scale — size or range
  20. bound — tied together
  21. vault — a safe
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. scale — in music
  24. bound — certain

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