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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 124 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 ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. drill — the tool
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. drill — army training
  7. vault — a safe
  8. content — happy
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. tube — the underground
  11. bank — for money
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. drill — a practice
  14. bank — for money
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. tube — a container
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. bank — of a river
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. chip — for betting
  22. content — the amount
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. chip — to eat

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