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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: bear · prune · chest · can · board · pitch · content · vault

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  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. content — the amount
  2. can — a tin
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. bear — the animal
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. prune — to trim
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. vault — a safe
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. chest — of your body
  12. pitch — completely
  13. board — a committee
  14. bear — the animal
  15. prune — to trim
  16. can — a tin
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. board — to get on
  19. can — to be able to
  20. chest — of your body
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. content — happy
  23. chest — a box
  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