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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: pass · date · fan · straw · saw · ball · vault · pop

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. vault — a safe
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. pass — a permit
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. pop — to visit
  12. saw — the tool
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. pop — music
  15. ball — a great time
  16. date — the fruit
  17. ball — a dance
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. saw — the tool
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. pop — soda

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