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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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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: ball · wound · object · roll · coach · pit · stick · vault

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. wound — an injury
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. object — an aim
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. ball — a great time
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. roll — a list
  10. roll — a cake
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. pit — in a race
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. ball — a dance
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. pit — a hole
  17. wound — an injury
  18. object — a thing
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. vault — a safe
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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