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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 116 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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. vault — a safe
  4. fork — in a road
  5. tear — from crying
  6. firm — steady
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. tear — from crying
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. pound — a weight
  13. firm — a company
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. wind — moving air
  17. tear — to rip
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. content — the amount
  21. firm — decided
  22. wind — moving air
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. fork — to eat with

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