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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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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: last · content · leaves · net · patient · vault · pitcher · spell

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. spell — magic
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. content — the amount
  6. last — final
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. vault — a safe
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. net — for catching
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. net — in sport
  15. net — after costs
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. spell — a short time
  18. last — to go on
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. last — finally
  22. spell — letters
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. content — happy

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