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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. content — the amount
  8. season — of the year
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. march — the month
  11. march — music
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. stem — to come from
  14. ball — a great time
  15. bulb — for light
  16. march — the month
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. ball — a dance
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. content — happy
  23. bulb — for light
  24. vault — a safe

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