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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 120 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: vault · game · row · rush · pit · stand · ground · season

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. vault — a safe
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. stand — to bear
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. season — in sport
  9. row — a line
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. pit — a hole
  17. ground — crushed
  18. game — wild animals
  19. game — a match
  20. ground — the earth
  21. rush — hurry
  22. season — of the year
  23. row — to paddle
  24. ground — a position

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