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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.

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: pit · tube · foot · suit · vault · ball · season · game

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. foot — a measure
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. game — a match
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. ball — a great time
  7. tube — the underground
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. pit — a hole
  10. game — wild animals
  11. pit — in a race
  12. ball — a dance
  13. vault — a safe
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. suit — clothes
  16. suit — to fit
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. season — of the year
  19. suit — in cards
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. season — in sport
  24. game — a kind of play

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