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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 belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. face — part of the head
  7. mark — a grade
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. vault — a safe
  15. club — for dancing
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. face — to confront
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. date — the fruit
  21. club — for golf
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. face — to point toward
  24. mark — a trace

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