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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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Word bank
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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: rock · pass · pop · present · date · vault · march · calf

  1. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. march — the month
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. pass — a permit
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. pop — to visit
  9. march — music
  10. present — a gift
  11. present — the time now
  12. present — there
  13. rock — a stone
  14. vault — a safe
  15. march — the month
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. pop — music
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. date — the fruit
  21. pop — soda
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. rock — music
  24. calf — a young animal

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