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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.

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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. content — happy
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. clip — to cut
  7. pass — a permit
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. rock — a stone
  10. game — a match
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. scale — in music
  15. clip — for paper
  16. rock — music
  17. scale — size or range
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. content — the amount
  20. game — wild animals
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. clip — a video
  23. vault — a safe
  24. pass — to spend time

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