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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: bore · jam · kid · stick · racket · pit · vault · lie

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. pit — a hole
  3. bore — to drill
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. bore — to tire
  8. kid — child
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. kid — to tease
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. vault — a safe
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. pit — in a race
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. lie — to recline
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. racket — a loud noise

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