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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: mouse · racket · game · fine · vault · fall · pit · cell

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. fall — to drop
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. game — a match
  5. fine — all right
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. game — wild animals
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. cell — in biology
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. pit — a hole
  14. vault — a safe
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. pit — in a race
  20. cell — a phone
  21. fall — to drop
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. fine — high quality

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