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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: vault · wound · pit · wake · foot · rule · club · rush

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. club — for dancing
  4. wound — an injury
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. foot — a measure
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. rush — hurry
  10. rule — a law
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. vault — a safe
  13. club — a group
  14. wound — an injury
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. pit — a hole
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. club — for golf
  22. wake — a trail
  23. pit — in a race
  24. wake — before a funeral

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