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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. pit — a hole
  3. pop — soda
  4. pit — in a race
  5. content — happy
  6. bear — the animal
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. bear — the animal
  10. stock — shares
  11. stock — goods
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. vault — a safe
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. content — the amount
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. hand — in cards
  21. pop — music
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. hand — help
  24. pop — to visit

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