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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: spring · present · pit · bowl · ball · vault · chip · content

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. ball — a great time
  4. content — happy
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. chip — to eat
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. chip — for betting
  9. present — a gift
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. content — the amount
  14. spring — a coil
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. spring — the season
  18. pit — a hole
  19. spring — of water
  20. ball — a dance
  21. present — the time now
  22. vault — a safe
  23. pit — in a race
  24. bowl — to roll

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