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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. spring — a coil
  3. net — in sport
  4. rest — what's left
  5. spring — of water
  6. content — happy
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. net — after costs
  9. rest — what's left
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. content — the amount
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. rock — music
  16. vault — a safe
  17. net — for catching
  18. rest — a break
  19. mug — to rob
  20. rock — a stone
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. mug — a cup
  23. spring — the season
  24. mug — a face

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