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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. mug — to rob
  3. mug — a cup
  4. vault — a safe
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. content — the amount
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. mug — a face
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. content — happy
  12. bulb — for light
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. vault — in gymnastics

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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