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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 · mark · pit · stick · chest · bowl · kick · roll

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. kick — in football
  3. chest — a box
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. vault — a safe
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. mark — a trace
  9. roll — a cake
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. chest — of your body
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. roll — a list
  18. mark — a grade
  19. pit — a hole
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. pit — in a race
  23. chest — of your body
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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