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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: vault · land · coach · bay · bass · rash · pit · wax

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. land — a country
  3. land — ground
  4. bass — the fish
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. rash — hasty
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. vault — a safe
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. land — to come down
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. rash — a series
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. wax — to grow
  21. pit — a hole
  22. bass — low music
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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