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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 band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. date — the fruit
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. board — a committee
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. march — the month
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. cap — a lid
  11. lean — to bend
  12. vault — a safe
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. board — to get on
  16. march — the month
  17. cap — a hat
  18. lean — thin
  19. mark — a trace
  20. mark — a grade
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. cap — of ice

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