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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: pit · date · last · pitcher · vault · lean · staff · fan

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. last — final
  6. lean — to bend
  7. last — to go on
  8. staff — employees
  9. staff — employees
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. lean — thin
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. last — finally
  16. pit — in a race
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. staff — a stick
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. date — the fruit
  21. pit — a hole
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. fan — a supporter

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