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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 · race · kick · lean · pit · pound · bass · object

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. race — the arms race
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. bass — low music
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. lean — to bend
  8. kick — in football
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. lean — thin
  12. pit — in a race
  13. pit — a hole
  14. object — to protest
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. pound — a weight
  17. vault — a safe
  18. object — an aim
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. race — a contest
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. race — humankind
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. object — a thing

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