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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 light ________________ burned out.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. vault — a safe
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. date — the fruit
  10. present — a gift
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. present — the time now
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. bat — the animal
  18. present — there
  19. sharp — clever
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. bulb — for light
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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