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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: bear · vault · content · press · leaves · bowl · pit · kid

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. kid — to tease
  3. content — the amount
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. content — happy
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. vault — a safe
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. press — newspapers
  12. bear — the animal
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. bear — the animal
  15. pit — in a race
  16. press — a publisher
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. press — to push
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. pit — a hole

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