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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: fan · vault · deal · fork · pit · pitcher · ground · last

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  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. last — finally
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. ground — the earth
  6. pit — a hole
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. vault — a safe
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. fork — in a road
  13. last — to go on
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. deal — to handle
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. last — final
  19. ground — crushed
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  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