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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: pit · bowl · root · lash · wind · pitcher · current · vault

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. current — of water
  3. pit — a hole
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. wind — moving air
  6. current — happening now
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. pit — in a race
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. root — of a plant
  15. wind — moving air
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. vault — a safe
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. root — of a word
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. root — the cause
  24. current — electric

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