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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: stand · pit · ball · rush · cue · clip · vault · ground

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. vault — a safe
  3. ball — a great time
  4. ball — a dance
  5. clip — a video
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. stand — to bear
  9. ground — the earth
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. clip — for paper
  12. ground — a position
  13. ground — crushed
  14. clip — to cut
  15. cue — a signal
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. pit — in a race
  19. cue — for pool
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. cue — a hint
  23. rush — hurry
  24. rush — to hurry

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