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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 hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. vault — a safe
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. bat — the animal
  11. pass — a permit
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. kid — to tease
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. mark — a grade
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. date — the fruit
  22. kid — child
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. mark — to pay attention

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