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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 ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  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. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. track — a path
  4. rest — a break
  5. present — there
  6. track — a song
  7. present — a gift
  8. march — music
  9. season — in sport
  10. net — in sport
  11. rest — what's left
  12. mark — a grade
  13. present — the time now
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. march — the month
  16. rest — what's left
  17. net — after costs
  18. track — to keep track
  19. vault — a safe
  20. march — the month
  21. season — of the year
  22. net — for catching
  23. mark — a trace
  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