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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. lie — to recline
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. pound — a weight
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. vault — a safe
  9. ground — the earth
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. ground — crushed
  17. ground — a position
  18. vault — in gymnastics

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