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

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. drill — a practice
  5. season — of the year
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. drill — army training
  8. suit — in cards
  9. content — the amount
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. fine — all right
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. suit — to fit
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. fine — high quality
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. content — happy
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. vault — a safe
  22. drill — the tool
  23. suit — clothes
  24. content — videos and posts

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