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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. capital — money
  3. drill — a practice
  4. date — the fruit
  5. mug — a cup
  6. vault — a safe
  7. mug — to rob
  8. drill — army training
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. ball — a dance
  12. drill — the tool
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. mine — for digging
  17. capital — a city
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. ball — a great time
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. date — on the calendar

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