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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: fine · stick · vault · pit · spell · face · march · mark

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. face — to point toward
  4. march — music
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. pit — in a race
  8. face — to confront
  9. spell — magic
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. mark — a trace
  13. spell — letters
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. fine — all right
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. vault — a safe
  18. face — part of the head
  19. mark — a grade
  20. spell — a short time
  21. march — the month
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. fine — high quality
  24. pit — a hole

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