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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. date — the fruit
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. sharp — clever
  10. capital — money
  11. pit — in a race
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. scale — in music
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. scale — size or range
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. fall — to drop
  20. capital — a city
  21. fall — to drop
  22. pit — a hole
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. vault — a safe

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