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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 120 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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. ball — a dance
  4. ball — a great time
  5. cue — a signal
  6. net — in sport
  7. content — happy
  8. net — after costs
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. cue — for pool
  11. wake — a trail
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. net — for catching
  15. dip — to sink
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. vault — a safe
  21. content — the amount
  22. cue — a hint
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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