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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 120 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: lie · net · vault · march · bay · pit · board · field

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. board — to get on
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. net — in sport
  5. vault — a safe
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. field — for sport
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. march — the month
  11. march — music
  12. pit — a hole
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. net — after costs
  16. board — a committee
  17. field — a subject
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. net — for catching
  20. lie — to recline
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. field — farmland
  24. march — the month

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