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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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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: stick · fine · cabinet · clip · toast · ball · march · vault

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. march — the month
  3. fine — high quality
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. fine — all right
  7. march — music
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. vault — a safe
  10. march — the month
  11. clip — a video
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. ball — a dance
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. toast — bread
  19. clip — for paper
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. clip — to cut
  23. ball — a great time
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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