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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: racket · pit · file · mark · vault · stick · mug · spring

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. mug — to rob
  4. pit — a hole
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. spring — the season
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. vault — a safe
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. file — a document
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. mark — a grade
  15. mug — a cup
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. spring — of water
  18. file — a line of people
  19. spring — a coil
  20. mug — a face
  21. mark — a trace
  22. file — a tool
  23. pit — in a race
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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