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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: march · vault · stick · racket · chest · pit · rock · saw

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. saw — the tool
  4. march — the month
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. march — music
  7. saw — the tool
  8. rock — a stone
  9. march — the month
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. rock — music
  12. vault — a safe
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. chest — of your body
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. chest — a box
  19. pit — a hole
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. chest — of your body
  23. pit — in a race
  24. rock — to move gently

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