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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. sharp — clever
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. bear — the animal
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. content — the amount
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. season — in sport
  15. bear — the animal
  16. season — of the year
  17. bass — the fish
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. content — happy
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. vault — a safe
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. bass — low music

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