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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. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. track — to keep track
  3. saw — the tool
  4. land — a country
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. saw — the tool
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. bass — low music
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. stand — to bear
  12. land — to come down
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. date — the fruit
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. land — ground
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. track — a path
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. vault — a safe
  23. track — a song
  24. bass — the fish

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