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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. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. toast — bread
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. fork — in a road
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. vault — a safe
  9. wax — to grow
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. fine — all right
  12. craft — a skill
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. plane — a tool
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. pitch — completely
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. craft — boats
  22. fine — high quality
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. craft — a handicraft

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