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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: pit · wake · vault · net · wax · stock · ruler · hide

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. stock — shares
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. wax — to grow
  6. vault — a safe
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. wake — a trail
  19. net — for catching
  20. pit — a hole
  21. net — in sport
  22. stock — goods
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. net — after costs

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