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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 · pit · spring · bowl · cue · present · hide · pound

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. spring — of water
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. spring — the season
  6. cue — a hint
  7. present — the time now
  8. present — there
  9. pit — a hole
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. cue — for pool
  12. cue — a signal
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. spring — a coil
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. pound — a weight
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. pit — in a race
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. vault — a safe
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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