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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: swing · present · stand · face · vault · mine · pit · mouse

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. swing — to play on
  7. mine — for digging
  8. face — to confront
  9. face — to point toward
  10. swing — music
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. swing — in golf
  14. pit — in a race
  15. pit — a hole
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. vault — a safe
  18. stand — to bear
  19. face — part of the head
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. present — the time now
  22. present — a gift
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. present — there

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