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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: vault · mug · land · bat · calf · mark · date · ball

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. mug — a cup
  5. mark — a grade
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. mark — a trace
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. land — to come down
  11. ball — a dance
  12. bat — the animal
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. date — the fruit
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. ball — a great time
  18. land — ground
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. vault — a safe
  21. land — a country
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. mug — to rob

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