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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: pit · vault · safe · mug · fork · cap · ground · net

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. net — in sport
  3. cap — of ice
  4. vault — a safe
  5. ground — a position
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. fork — in a road
  8. ground — crushed
  9. pit — a hole
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. mug — a cup
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. ground — the earth
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. net — for catching
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. pit — in a race
  20. net — after costs
  21. cap — a hat
  22. mug — a face
  23. mug — to rob
  24. cap — a lid

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