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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: ground · wax · dip · ball · branch · fine · vault · date

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. ball — a dance
  5. ground — a position
  6. ground — crushed
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. ball — a great time
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. ground — the earth
  11. vault — a safe
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. fine — high quality
  15. dip — to sink
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. branch — a division
  18. fine — all right
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. wax — to grow
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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