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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: mark · content · toast · patient · cap · jam · vault · mug

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. content — the amount
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. mark — a grade
  7. content — happy
  8. cap — of ice
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. cap — a hat
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. mug — a cup
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. mark — a trace
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. mug — a face
  21. mug — to rob
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. toast — bread
  24. cap — a lid

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