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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 112 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 · racket · club · tear · trunk · vault · stick · mine

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. club — a group
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. pit — a hole
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. tear — to rip
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. club — for dancing
  10. vault — a safe
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. pit — in a race
  13. tear — from crying
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. tear — from crying
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. club — for golf
  24. mine — for digging

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