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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. content — the amount
  5. content — happy
  6. season — of the year
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. perch — the fish
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. season — in sport
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. vault — a safe
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. rock — music
  22. rock — a stone
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. straw — dry grass

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