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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: game · rule · pit · drill · vault · lash · firm · perch

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. firm — a company
  3. drill — a practice
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. rule — government
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. rule — a law
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. drill — the tool
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. vault — a safe
  17. perch — the fish
  18. game — a match
  19. drill — army training
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. firm — decided
  22. firm — steady
  23. pit — a hole
  24. pit — in a race

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