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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. vault — a safe
  3. content — the amount
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. content — happy
  6. suit — to fit
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. bear — the animal
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. wake — a trail
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. court — of law
  13. suit — clothes
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bulb — for light
  20. mine — for digging
  21. court — for sport
  22. bear — the animal
  23. court — of a king
  24. suit — in cards

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