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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. cue — a signal
  5. cue — for pool
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. content — the amount
  8. pitch — completely
  9. content — happy
  10. scale — in music
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. vault — a safe
  20. prune — to trim
  21. scale — size or range
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. prune — to trim
  24. cue — a hint

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