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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: pit · band · vault · calf · field · pop · squash · present

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. vault — a safe
  3. present — there
  4. squash — to crush
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. pop — soda
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. field — farmland
  9. field — for sport
  10. band — a ring
  11. pop — music
  12. band — a music group
  13. pop — to visit
  14. pit — a hole
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. field — a subject
  19. pit — in a race
  20. squash — the sport
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. present — the time now
  23. present — a gift
  24. calf — of the leg

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