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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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. bank — of a river
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. kick — in football
  7. present — a gift
  8. bank — for money
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. net — in sport
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. pop — soda
  13. date — the fruit
  14. pop — to visit
  15. pop — music
  16. net — after costs
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. net — for catching
  19. present — there
  20. bank — for money
  21. present — the time now
  22. chair — a leader
  23. vault — a safe
  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