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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: game · vault · pit · branch · content · sharp · wax · mark

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. game — a match
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. pit — a hole
  8. content — the amount
  9. branch — a division
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. wax — to grow
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. content — happy
  14. mark — a grade
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. sharp — clever
  17. pit — in a race
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. vault — a safe
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. mark — a trace
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. sharp — with an edge

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