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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. bulb — for light
  3. present — there
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. present — a gift
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. dip — to sink
  9. content — happy
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. present — the time now
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. bulb — for light
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. vault — a safe
  24. content — videos and posts

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