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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. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. date — the fruit
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. mark — a grade
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. wind — moving air
  7. wind — moving air
  8. pop — soda
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. mark — a trace
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. vault — a safe
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. pop — to visit
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. stand — to bear
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. pop — music

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