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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: date · land · stand · vault · scale · rock · lean · pit

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. rock — music
  3. vault — a safe
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. pit — a hole
  6. land — a country
  7. land — to come down
  8. rock — a stone
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. date — the fruit
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. lean — to bend
  14. scale — size or range
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. land — ground
  18. scale — in music
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. lean — thin
  24. stand — to bear

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