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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: stand · current · vault · pit · suit · bowl · key · fall

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  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. fall — to drop
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. stand — to bear
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. key — for a lock
  6. key — in music
  7. current — happening now
  8. current — electric
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. fall — the season
  15. pit — in a race
  16. suit — to fit
  17. key — the most important part
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. fall — to drop
  20. current — of water
  21. suit — in cards
  22. suit — clothes
  23. pit — a hole
  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