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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. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. vault — a safe
  3. staff — a stick
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. march — the month
  8. date — the fruit
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. staff — employees
  13. pit — in a race
  14. bark — to shout
  15. march — music
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. staff — employees
  20. march — the month
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. pit — a hole
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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