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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: cap · row · content · staff · vault · pit · net · nail

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. row — a line
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. cap — of ice
  6. pit — a hole
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. net — after costs
  9. net — for catching
  10. pit — in a race
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. net — in sport
  13. staff — a stick
  14. vault — a safe
  15. content — the amount
  16. cap — a lid
  17. row — to paddle
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. content — happy
  21. cap — a hat
  22. staff — employees
  23. staff — employees
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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