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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. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. vault — a safe
  6. key — in music
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. band — a ring
  9. key — the most important part
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. roll — a cake
  13. band — a music group
  14. stock — goods
  15. stand — to bear
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. key — for a lock
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. roll — a list
  23. sharp — clever
  24. stock — shares

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