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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. fork — in a road
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. squash — to crush
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. can — to be able to
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. content — happy
  14. scale — in music
  15. content — the amount
  16. deal — to handle
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. can — a tin
  20. can — a tin
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. scale — size or range
  24. squash — the sport

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