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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: pit · game · vault · season · current · drill · race · straw

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. season — in sport
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. drill — army training
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. game — a match
  8. drill — a practice
  9. current — happening now
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. game — wild animals
  12. race — humankind
  13. current — of water
  14. race — a contest
  15. drill — the tool
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. race — the arms race
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. season — of the year
  20. current — electric
  21. vault — a safe
  22. pit — a hole
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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