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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. net — after costs
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. rest — what's left
  6. board — a committee
  7. spell — magic
  8. rest — what's left
  9. vault — a safe
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. rest — a break
  13. pit — a hole
  14. spell — letters
  15. board — to get on
  16. date — the fruit
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. spell — a short time
  19. wax — to grow
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. net — for catching
  22. net — in sport
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. date — on the calendar

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