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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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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: last · vault · calf · pitcher · rush · mouse · fine · pit

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. vault — a safe
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. last — to go on
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. fine — high quality
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. rush — hurry
  13. last — final
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. pit — a hole
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. fine — all right
  19. pit — in a race
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. calf — a young animal

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