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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. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. content — happy
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. drill — the tool
  9. drill — a practice
  10. craft — a skill
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. content — the amount
  13. cap — a lid
  14. date — the fruit
  15. craft — boats
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. cap — of ice
  19. cap — a hat
  20. vault — a safe
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. drill — army training
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. content — videos and posts

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