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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. perch — the fish
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. chest — of your body
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. vault — a safe
  10. pit — a hole
  11. cap — a hat
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. content — happy
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. pit — in a race
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. chest — a box
  18. cap — of ice
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. chest — of your body
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. content — the amount
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. deal — to handle

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