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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 116 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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. content — the amount
  3. spell — letters
  4. suit — to fit
  5. spell — a short time
  6. pass — a permit
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. march — music
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. march — the month
  11. march — the month
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. suit — in cards
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. spell — magic
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. suit — clothes
  20. content — happy
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. vault — a safe

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