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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: last · date · vault · racket · stand · branch · foot · cap

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. date — the fruit
  3. branch — a division
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. foot — a measure
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. last — to go on
  11. last — finally
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. vault — a safe
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. cap — of ice
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. stand — to bear
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. last — final
  24. cap — a hat

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