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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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468
Word bank
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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. scale — size or range
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. band — a music group
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. scale — in music
  11. vault — a safe
  12. foot — a measure
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. content — the amount
  15. fork — in a road
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. band — a ring
  24. ruler — for measuring

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