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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. charge — in control
  3. firm — a company
  4. firm — decided
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. vault — a safe
  7. pit — in a race
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. content — the amount
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. deal — to handle
  13. stem — to come from
  14. charge — electricity
  15. charge — a price
  16. pit — a hole
  17. content — happy
  18. firm — steady
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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