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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 get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. date — the fruit
  3. pit — a hole
  4. court — of a king
  5. court — for sport
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. present — there
  8. present — the time now
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. rash — a series
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. vault — a safe
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. court — of law
  18. rash — hasty
  19. bear — the animal
  20. bear — the animal
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. pit — in a race
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  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