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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: cabinet · can · content · key · ground · object · pit · vault

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. ground — crushed
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. object — an aim
  6. vault — a safe
  7. can — to be able to
  8. pit — in a race
  9. content — happy
  10. pit — a hole
  11. key — the most important part
  12. can — a tin
  13. object — a thing
  14. object — to protest
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. key — for a lock
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. ground — the earth
  20. ground — a position
  21. key — in music
  22. content — the amount
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. can — a tin

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