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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: vault · lie · pit · roll · chair · mouse · track · swing

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. roll — a cake
  3. track — a song
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. track — a path
  7. pit — a hole
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. swing — music
  14. swing — in golf
  15. swing — to play on
  16. chair — a leader
  17. vault — a safe
  18. track — to keep track
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. pit — in a race
  24. lie — to recline

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