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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: pitcher · wax · vault · straw · degree · rush · mouse · pit

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. pit — in a race
  3. vault — a safe
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. wax — to grow
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. rush — hurry
  18. pit — a hole
  19. degree — from a university
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. degree — temperature
  23. degree — an amount
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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