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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: chip · toast · bore · pitcher · field · plane · content · vault

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. plane — a tool
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. field — a subject
  8. content — the amount
  9. bore — to tire
  10. field — farmland
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. field — for sport
  18. bore — to drill
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. chip — to eat
  21. chip — for betting
  22. vault — a safe
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. content — happy

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