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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: land · rash · pitcher · vault · fine · pit · lie · season

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. land — to come down
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. fine — all right
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. land — a country
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. pit — in a race
  10. rash — a series
  11. season — of the year
  12. rash — hasty
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. pit — a hole
  17. vault — a safe
  18. fine — high quality
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. season — in sport
  22. land — ground
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. lie — to recline

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