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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: pop · band · rush · bat · pit · bowl · vault · trunk

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. pop — soda
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. vault — a safe
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. band — a music group
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. pit — in a race
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. pit — a hole
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. band — a ring
  22. rush — hurry
  23. pop — to visit
  24. bat — 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