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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: vault · pit · bowl · land · cold · jam · rock · staff

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. rock — a stone
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. land — to come down
  7. staff — employees
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. vault — a safe
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. land — a country
  14. rock — music
  15. staff — employees
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. cold — an illness
  19. cold — not warm
  20. staff — a stick
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. pit — a hole
  24. land — ground

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