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

Word bank: vault · pit · face · content · bass · mark · toast · swing

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. pit — a hole
  3. mark — a grade
  4. content — happy
  5. swing — music
  6. bass — the fish
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. content — the amount
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. face — to point toward
  11. mark — a trace
  12. swing — in golf
  13. face — part of the head
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. bass — low music
  16. toast — bread
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. face — to confront
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. pit — in a race
  23. swing — to play on
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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