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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. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. date — the fruit
  4. vault — a safe
  5. board — a committee
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. mate — a partner
  9. swing — to play on
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. mate — to breed
  12. swing — in golf
  13. band — a music group
  14. lean — thin
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. swing — music
  19. lean — to bend
  20. board — to get on
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. band — a ring
  24. mate — a friend

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