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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. vault — a safe
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. scale — size or range
  7. cue — for pool
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. cue — a hint
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. cue — a signal
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. face — part of the head
  17. scale — in music
  18. face — to confront
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. face — to point toward
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. bowl — a dish

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