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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: date · pit · fine · bulb · wax · vault · march · fork

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. pit — a hole
  4. pit — in a race
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. fine — high quality
  7. fine — all right
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. fork — in a road
  16. march — music
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. vault — a safe
  19. wax — to grow
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. date — the fruit
  24. march — the month

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