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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 116 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: wave · fine · pitcher · game · wind · pit · rock · vault

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. vault — a safe
  7. wind — moving air
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. fine — all right
  10. rock — a stone
  11. game — a match
  12. wind — moving air
  13. pit — in a race
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. pit — a hole
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. fine — high quality
  19. game — wild animals
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. wind — to turn a key

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