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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. march — music
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. present — the time now
  6. present — there
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. present — a gift
  9. stock — shares
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. scale — in music
  12. scale — size or range
  13. vault — a safe
  14. march — the month
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. march — the month
  19. pass — a permit
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. dip — to sink
  22. stock — goods
  23. foot — a measure
  24. pass — to spend time

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