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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 120 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 · rest · vault · cold · suit · racket · stock · present

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. suit — in cards
  4. cold — an illness
  5. stock — goods
  6. pit — a hole
  7. stock — shares
  8. present — the time now
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. rest — a break
  11. pit — in a race
  12. vault — a safe
  13. suit — to fit
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. rest — what's left
  16. present — there
  17. suit — clothes
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. present — a gift
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. rest — what's left
  24. cold — not warm

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