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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: content · mark · pitch · kick · trunk · current · bound · vault

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. content — the amount
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. bound — tied together
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. current — electric
  8. bound — obliged
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. mark — a trace
  11. mark — a grade
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. current — happening now
  18. kick — in football
  19. content — happy
  20. bound — certain
  21. pitch — completely
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. current — of water
  24. vault — a safe

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