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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 ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. dip — to sink
  4. date — the fruit
  5. game — a match
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. vault — a safe
  8. charge — in control
  9. charge — a price
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. wax — to grow
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. game — wild animals
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. pitch — completely
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. charge — electricity
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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