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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: wave · vault · court · clip · pit · stick · bear · kid

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. pit — a hole
  3. bear — the animal
  4. court — of a king
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. court — of law
  9. kid — to tease
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. clip — a video
  15. clip — to cut
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. clip — for paper
  18. bear — the animal
  19. kid — child
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. court — for sport
  24. vault — a safe

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