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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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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: cabinet · pit · cold · date · track · vault · sharp · rush

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. track — a path
  4. pit — in a race
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. track — a song
  7. date — the fruit
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. track — to keep track
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. cold — an illness
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. vault — a safe
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. pit — a hole
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. rush — hurry
  23. sharp — clever
  24. cold — not warm

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