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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 · capital · can · vault · pit · mark · date · bear

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. bear — the animal
  4. last — finally
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. last — final
  7. pit — in a race
  8. capital — money
  9. last — to go on
  10. date — the fruit
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. can — to be able to
  14. vault — a safe
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. capital — a city
  18. pit — a hole
  19. mark — a trace
  20. can — a tin
  21. mark — a grade
  22. can — a tin
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. bear — 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