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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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. content — happy
  3. present — a gift
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. spell — a short time
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. present — the time now
  9. spell — magic
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. board — to get on
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. present — there
  15. vault — a safe
  16. perch — the fish
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. board — a committee
  20. content — the amount
  21. deal — to handle
  22. spell — letters
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. perch — for a bird

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