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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 116 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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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: bear · vault · pit · march · rash · rock · mate · cap

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. mate — a partner
  3. mate — a friend
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. pit — a hole
  6. bear — the animal
  7. march — music
  8. pit — in a race
  9. march — the month
  10. vault — a safe
  11. bear — the animal
  12. march — the month
  13. rash — a series
  14. cap — a hat
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. cap — of ice
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. rash — hasty
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. rock — a stone
  23. rock — music
  24. mate — to breed

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