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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. ball — a great time
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. suit — in cards
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. vault — a safe
  11. ball — a dance
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. suit — clothes
  20. pit — a hole
  21. date — the fruit
  22. pit — in a race
  23. mine — for digging
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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