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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. bear — the animal
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. object — to protest
  5. vault — a safe
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. date — the fruit
  9. bear — the animal
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. object — a thing
  13. tube — the underground
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. tube — a container
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. object — an aim
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. racket — for tennis

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