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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: wave · spell · march · toast · vault · stock · date · cue

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. spell — letters
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. cue — a signal
  5. spell — magic
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. spell — a short time
  8. march — the month
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. vault — a safe
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. stock — shares
  14. march — music
  15. date — the fruit
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. cue — a hint
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. stock — goods
  20. march — the month
  21. cue — for pool
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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