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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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. ground — crushed
  4. vault — a safe
  5. charge — in control
  6. bulb — for light
  7. charge — a price
  8. drill — a practice
  9. drill — the tool
  10. ground — the earth
  11. drill — army training
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. key — in music
  14. club — for dancing
  15. content — the amount
  16. ground — a position
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. key — the most important part
  19. club — a group
  20. bulb — for light
  21. club — for golf
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. charge — electricity
  24. key — for a lock

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