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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: net · rash · pit · vault · sharp · pitch · kid · lie

  1. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. lie — to recline
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. net — after costs
  6. pit — a hole
  7. sharp — clever
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. net — in sport
  10. kid — child
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. vault — a safe
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. net — for catching
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. pit — in a race
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. pitch — completely
  23. rash — hasty
  24. rash — a series

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