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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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. current — happening now
  7. drill — the tool
  8. vault — a safe
  9. current — of water
  10. stem — to come from
  11. tube — a container
  12. drill — a practice
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. current — electric
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. drill — army training
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. content — the amount
  22. perch — the fish
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. tube — the underground

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