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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. content — happy
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. cap — a hat
  6. cap — of ice
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. rest — a break
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. pound — a weight
  12. net — after costs
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. vault — a safe
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. wax — to grow
  17. net — in sport
  18. rest — what's left
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. rest — what's left
  22. content — the amount
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. cap — a lid

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