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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 · capital · toast · deal · tear · row · pit · date

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. tear — to rip
  5. deal — to handle
  6. row — a line
  7. vault — a safe
  8. capital — money
  9. date — the fruit
  10. capital — a city
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. pit — in a race
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. tear — from crying
  19. toast — bread
  20. pit — a hole
  21. tear — from crying
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. row — to paddle
  24. deal — a big deal

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