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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: vault · dip · saw · toast · march · game · pop · bear

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  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. bear — the animal
  2. pop — to visit
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. march — the month
  5. game — a match
  6. march — the month
  7. bear — the animal
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. march — music
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. dip — to sink
  13. game — wild animals
  14. saw — the tool
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. saw — the tool
  19. pop — soda
  20. pop — music
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. toast — bread
  23. vault — a safe
  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