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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: spring · wake · stand · pit · branch · vault · roll · swing

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. roll — a list
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. swing — in golf
  6. branch — a division
  7. spring — a coil
  8. pit — in a race
  9. stand — to bear
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. spring — of water
  12. vault — a safe
  13. swing — music
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. spring — the season
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. pit — a hole
  22. roll — a cake
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. wake — a trail

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