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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: stand · last · mark · vault · pass · racket · date · bay

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. last — final
  3. vault — a safe
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. stand — to bear
  10. date — the fruit
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. last — to go on
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. mark — a grade
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. pass — a permit
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. last — finally
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. mark — a trace

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