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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
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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: band · bowl · land · vault · rush · pit · spring · toast

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. land — to come down
  4. band — a music group
  5. band — a ring
  6. spring — of water
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. pit — a hole
  9. pit — in a race
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. land — a country
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. vault — a safe
  17. spring — the season
  18. spring — a coil
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. land — ground
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. toast — bread

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