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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: mark · content · bay · pit · pitcher · vault · net · rock

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. rock — a stone
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. pit — in a race
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. content — happy
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. net — after costs
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. vault — a safe
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. net — for catching
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. net — in sport
  18. mark — a grade
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. mark — a trace
  21. content — the amount
  22. pit — a hole
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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