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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. object — an aim
  3. present — there
  4. pit — a hole
  5. pit — in a race
  6. vault — a safe
  7. object — to protest
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. pass — a permit
  13. stem — to come from
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. present — the time now
  16. object — a thing
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. pit — a fruit stone

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