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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: track · content · vault · pound · sharp · toast · court · stick

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. track — a song
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. content — happy
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. track — to keep track
  13. vault — a safe
  14. court — for sport
  15. court — of law
  16. track — a path
  17. content — the amount
  18. pound — a weight
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. toast — bread
  24. court — of a king

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