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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. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. ground — a position
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. roll — a list
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. object — to protest
  10. object — a thing
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. ground — the earth
  15. kid — to tease
  16. kid — child
  17. vault — a safe
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. roll — a cake
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. ground — crushed
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. object — an aim

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