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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: ball · wax · stand · bore · mug · racket · vault · pit

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. wax — to grow
  8. vault — a safe
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. mug — a cup
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. pit — a hole
  13. bore — to drill
  14. pit — in a race
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. stand — to bear
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. mug — to rob
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. ball — a great time
  22. ball — a dance
  23. mug — a face
  24. bore — to tire

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