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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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. tube — the underground
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. season — of the year
  6. ground — a position
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. tube — a container
  9. squash — the sport
  10. content — happy
  11. squash — to crush
  12. season — in sport
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. ground — the earth
  15. vault — a safe
  16. last — finally
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. last — to go on
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. ground — crushed
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. last — final
  24. squash — the vegetable

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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