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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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. bore — to drill
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. pit — a hole
  11. bore — to tire
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. pit — in a race
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. vault — a safe
  19. content — the amount
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. pitch — completely
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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