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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: pit · stick · coach · vault · fall · fan · date · jam

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  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. fall — to drop
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. fall — the season
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. pit — a hole
  17. pit — in a race
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. vault — a safe
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. fall — to drop
  22. date — the fruit
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  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