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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: toast · rock · mine · fine · jam · bear · kick · vault

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. bear — the animal
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. vault — a safe
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. fine — high quality
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. rock — a stone
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. kick — in football
  19. rock — music
  20. mine — for digging
  21. bear — the animal
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. fine — all right
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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