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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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. fork — in a road
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. bank — of a river
  5. mug — a cup
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. pitch — completely
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. vault — a safe
  11. mug — to rob
  12. bank — for money
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. mug — a face
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. content — the amount
  17. game — wild animals
  18. bank — for money
  19. chair — a leader
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. content — happy
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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