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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. vault — a safe
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. date — the fruit
  6. fork — in a road
  7. cell — a phone
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. pit — a hole
  13. court — of law
  14. court — for sport
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. court — of a king
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. cell — in biology
  24. pitcher — a jug

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