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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: root · season · cue · vault · pit · fork · racket · pass

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. cue — a signal
  3. root — of a word
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. season — in sport
  7. vault — a safe
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. cue — for pool
  10. root — of a plant
  11. root — the cause
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. season — of the year
  16. pit — a hole
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. cue — a hint
  19. pit — in a race
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. fork — in a road
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. pass — a permit

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