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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: lie · date · vault · field · sharp · present · pit · mate

  1. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. field — for sport
  3. mate — to breed
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. vault — a safe
  7. present — a gift
  8. pit — in a race
  9. field — a subject
  10. date — the fruit
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. lie — to recline
  13. mate — a friend
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. sharp — clever
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. mate — a partner
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. pit — a hole
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. present — the time now
  23. field — farmland
  24. present — there

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