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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: bowl · racket · vault · sharp · pit · firm · tear · pass

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. tear — to rip
  4. firm — steady
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. firm — a company
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. pit — a hole
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. tear — from crying
  15. pass — a permit
  16. firm — decided
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. pit — in a race
  21. sharp — clever
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. tear — from crying
  24. vault — a safe

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