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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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. staff — a stick
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. content — the amount
  5. court — of law
  6. staff — employees
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. present — the time now
  11. present — there
  12. staff — employees
  13. suit — to fit
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. court — for sport
  16. present — a gift
  17. vault — a safe
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. suit — clothes
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. court — of a king
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. suit — in cards

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