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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. march — the month
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. march — the month
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. field — farmland
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. field — a subject
  13. fork — in a road
  14. band — a ring
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. field — for sport
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. march — music
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. band — a music group
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. bowl — to roll

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