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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: vault · date · bowl · drill · mouse · mate · mark · craft

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. mate — a partner
  3. mate — a friend
  4. drill — army training
  5. mark — a trace
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. craft — a skill
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. vault — a safe
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. drill — a practice
  14. craft — boats
  15. drill — the tool
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. mate — to breed
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. date — the fruit
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. mark — a grade
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. mouse — the animal

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