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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 · rock · ruler · mark · tear · racket · pit · content

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. pit — a hole
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. rock — a stone
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. content — happy
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. tear — from crying
  14. rock — music
  15. mark — a grade
  16. pit — in a race
  17. content — the amount
  18. vault — a safe
  19. mark — a trace
  20. tear — from crying
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. tear — to rip

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