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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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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: kick · game · hand · pit · current · pass · lash · vault

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. vault — a safe
  3. pit — a hole
  4. current — of water
  5. current — electric
  6. pit — in a race
  7. game — wild animals
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. kick — in football
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. pass — a permit
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. hand — help
  19. current — happening now
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. game — a match
  24. hand — in cards

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