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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 120 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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. craft — a skill
  3. content — happy
  4. craft — boats
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. pitch — completely
  7. bear — the animal
  8. stand — to bear
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. current — of water
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. bear — the animal
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. current — electric
  21. content — the amount
  22. current — happening now
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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