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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. vault — a safe
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. root — of a plant
  9. fork — in a road
  10. root — the cause
  11. chest — of your body
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. content — happy
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. root — of a word
  17. chest — a box
  18. pit — in a race
  19. chest — of your body
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. dip — to sink
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. pit — a hole
  24. fork — a garden tool

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