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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: mate · vault · pit · bowl · shower · firm · wake · stand

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. firm — steady
  3. wake — a trail
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. mate — a friend
  6. mate — a partner
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. pit — in a race
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. mate — to breed
  14. firm — a company
  15. vault — a safe
  16. firm — decided
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. pit — a hole
  19. shower — to wash
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. shower — rain
  23. stand — to bear
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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