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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: bear · pit · race · vault · band · calf · ground · kick

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. race — humankind
  5. ground — the earth
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. ground — crushed
  8. pit — a hole
  9. vault — a safe
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. band — a ring
  12. pit — in a race
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. race — the arms race
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. kick — in football
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. band — a music group
  22. race — a contest
  23. bear — the animal
  24. bear — the animal

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