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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. bank — of a river
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. bank — for money
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. bank — for money
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. ground — the earth
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. ground — a position
  14. present — a gift
  15. content — happy
  16. present — there
  17. vault — a safe
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. present — the time now
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. ground — crushed
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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