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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. spring — the season
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. content — happy
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. root — of a plant
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. pit — a hole
  10. fine — high quality
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. vault — a safe
  13. spring — of water
  14. pit — in a race
  15. spring — a coil
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. net — for catching
  18. net — after costs
  19. net — in sport
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. root — of a word
  22. root — the cause
  23. content — the amount
  24. fine — all right

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