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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: bear · vault · bay · mark · pass · scale · date · wave

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. scale — in music
  7. bear — the animal
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. scale — size or range
  10. mark — a trace
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. mark — a grade
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. vault — a safe
  16. bear — the animal
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. date — the fruit
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. pass — a permit
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. pass — to spend time

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