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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: foot · cap · firm · vault · present · clip · bass · date

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. firm — a company
  3. present — there
  4. firm — steady
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. present — a gift
  7. date — the fruit
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. foot — a measure
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. bass — low music
  12. clip — a video
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. firm — decided
  15. vault — a safe
  16. cap — of ice
  17. clip — to cut
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. cap — a lid
  21. present — the time now
  22. cap — a hat
  23. clip — for paper
  24. date — on the calendar

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