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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. content — happy
  4. net — after costs
  5. tear — from crying
  6. ground — crushed
  7. mate — a partner
  8. mate — to breed
  9. content — the amount
  10. suit — to fit
  11. ground — a position
  12. net — in sport
  13. mate — a friend
  14. net — for catching
  15. ground — the earth
  16. vault — a safe
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. suit — in cards
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. tear — from crying
  21. suit — clothes
  22. tear — to rip
  23. stand — to bear
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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