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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. content — happy
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. cell — in biology
  9. suit — to fit
  10. deal — to handle
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. cell — a phone
  14. content — the amount
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. vault — a safe
  21. fine — high quality
  22. suit — clothes
  23. bark — to shout
  24. fine — all right

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