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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 King held a masked ________________.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. snap — to click
  5. staff — employees
  6. vault — a safe
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. ball — a great time
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. prune — to trim
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. prune — to trim
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. staff — a stick
  19. date — the fruit
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. staff — employees
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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