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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. pop — soda
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. vault — a safe
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. tube — the underground
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. wax — to grow
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. pop — music
  12. content — the amount
  13. object — to protest
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. object — a thing
  16. content — happy
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. tube — a container
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. object — an aim

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