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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. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. staff — employees
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. date — the fruit
  6. kid — to tease
  7. suit — clothes
  8. cue — a signal
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. bulb — for light
  12. net — in sport
  13. cue — a hint
  14. kid — child
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. staff — a stick
  17. cue — for pool
  18. suit — in cards
  19. suit — to fit
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. net — for catching
  22. vault — a safe
  23. bulb — for light
  24. net — after costs

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