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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: vault · stand · foot · pitch · rest · roll · wake · fine

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. rest — a break
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. rest — what's left
  10. fine — all right
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. foot — a measure
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. pitch — completely
  17. stand — to bear
  18. rest — what's left
  19. roll — a list
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. vault — a safe
  23. wake — a trail
  24. roll — a cake

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