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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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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: march · track · toast · pitch · vault · club · mark · date

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  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. toast — bread
  2. vault — a safe
  3. pitch — completely
  4. march — the month
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. mark — a grade
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. track — a song
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. march — music
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. track — to keep track
  14. club — for golf
  15. club — for dancing
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. date — the fruit
  18. track — a path
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. mark — a trace
  21. club — a group
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. toast — the most admired
  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