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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. mine — for digging
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. vault — a safe
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. stand — to bear
  9. can — a tin
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. content — happy
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. content — the amount
  16. mug — a cup
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. mug — a face
  19. date — the fruit
  20. can — to be able to
  21. can — a tin
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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