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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 stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. field — for sport
  3. vault — a safe
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. present — the time now
  6. mug — a cup
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. content — happy
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. mug — to rob
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. field — farmland
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. squash — to crush
  16. squash — the sport
  17. present — a gift
  18. content — the amount
  19. mug — a face
  20. present — there
  21. perch — the fish
  22. field — a subject
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. cabinet — ministers

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