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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: stand · vault · bay · cell · hand · nail · march · pit

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. pit — in a race
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. pit — a hole
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. hand — in cards
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. vault — a safe
  15. march — the month
  16. cell — a phone
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. hand — help
  20. cell — in biology
  21. march — music
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. stand — to bear

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