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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 · pitch · current · tube · wind · pit · stem · bay

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. stem — to come from
  4. tube — the underground
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. wind — moving air
  7. tube — a container
  8. pit — in a race
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. pit — a hole
  12. vault — a safe
  13. wind — moving air
  14. current — electric
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. current — of water
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. pitch — completely
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. current — happening now
  24. wind — to turn a key

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