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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. vault — a safe
  4. season — of the year
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. pop — soda
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. stem — to come from
  10. pop — to visit
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. charge — in control
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. bark — to shout
  16. pop — music
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. charge — a price
  19. date — the fruit
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. charge — electricity
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. season — in sport
  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