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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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Word bank
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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: racket · fan · stick · vault · ground · land · rash · pit

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. rash — hasty
  3. vault — a safe
  4. ground — the earth
  5. ground — crushed
  6. pit — a hole
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. pit — in a race
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. ground — a position
  14. land — to come down
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. land — a country
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. rash — a series
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. land — ground
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. rash — on the skin

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