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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: content · mate · safe · vault · court · drill · cabinet · stick

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. mate — a partner
  3. content — happy
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. court — of a king
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. court — for sport
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. drill — the tool
  18. court — of law
  19. drill — army training
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. vault — a safe
  22. mate — a friend
  23. content — the amount
  24. drill — a practice

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