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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: date · face · toast · vault · chair · cap · season · pitch

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. pitch — completely
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. face — part of the head
  7. season — of the year
  8. cap — a hat
  9. face — to point toward
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. face — to confront
  12. date — the fruit
  13. chair — a leader
  14. cap — of ice
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. toast — bread
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. vault — a safe
  22. cap — a lid
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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