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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 120 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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. vault — a safe
  3. content — the amount
  4. fork — in a road
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. chip — to eat
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. content — happy
  17. plane — a tool
  18. row — to paddle
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. chip — for betting
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. chip — in a computer

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