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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. content — happy
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. plane — a tool
  8. ball — a dance
  9. pass — a permit
  10. bulb — for light
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. vault — a safe
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. ball — a great time
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. cell — in biology
  24. cell — a phone

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