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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: race · object · pitch · lean · content · vault · present · mug

  1. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. object — to protest
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. vault — a safe
  7. mug — a face
  8. lean — to bend
  9. present — a gift
  10. mug — to rob
  11. lean — thin
  12. pitch — completely
  13. race — the arms race
  14. race — humankind
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. object — an aim
  17. object — a thing
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. content — the amount
  20. mug — a cup
  21. race — a contest
  22. present — the time now
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. present — there

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