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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. content — happy
  3. present — a gift
  4. ground — the earth
  5. ground — a position
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. cue — for pool
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. toast — bread
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. bulb — for light
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. vault — a safe
  17. ground — crushed
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. bulb — for light
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. present — the time now
  22. present — there
  23. content — the amount
  24. cue — a signal

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