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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 120 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: pass · row · vault · cabinet · stick · wax · pitcher · content

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. wax — to grow
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. vault — a safe
  9. row — to paddle
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. content — the amount
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. content — happy
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. row — a line
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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