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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 120 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 · vault · wind · fine · track · fall · rule · bass

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. track — to keep track
  3. fall — to drop
  4. fine — high quality
  5. fall — the season
  6. fine — all right
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. wind — moving air
  11. bass — the fish
  12. bass — low music
  13. vault — a safe
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. rule — a law
  17. track — a song
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. fall — to drop
  20. pit — a hole
  21. pit — in a race
  22. rule — government
  23. wind — moving air
  24. track — a path

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