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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 beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  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. date — the fruit
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. roll — a list
  5. pop — music
  6. roll — a cake
  7. capital — money
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. pop — to visit
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. present — the time now
  12. pop — soda
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. capital — a city
  15. kick — in football
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. vault — a safe
  18. rock — a stone
  19. present — a gift
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. rock — music
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. present — there
  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